The Raven II
by Dizzy Wiz Bang
Summary: [COMPLETE] Yes, it’s a sequel. Harry becomes The Raven and gets bonded to Snape as his familiar. This time Harry gets to learn about Severus and his world. Hedwig takes him under her wing.
1. Chapter 1

**The Raven II  
**  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
Summary: Yes, it's a sequel - Harry becomes The Raven and gets bonded to Snape as his familiar. This time Harry gets to learn about Severus and his world. Hedwig takes him under her wing.  
  
No slash, just some light hearted entertainment and a little adventure.  
  
**Chapter 1** (uploaded 6/17/04)  
  
Draco Malfoy sprinkled the chopped black feathers into the steaming cauldron while reciting the incantation, then waited until the smoke cleared.  
  
"Is it done?" Crabbe asked and rubbed his palms together.  
  
"All done," Theodore Nott answered. "Who are you going to try it on?"  
  
"Who else?" Draco smirked, "Harry Potter, of course." The Slytherin gang cackled so loudly that it caught the attention of their Head of House, Professor Severus Snape, who happened to be next door in his office marking papers.  
  
Draco, Nott and Pansy Parkinson had just finished filling the vials when the Potions Master quietly swept through the doors. "What's this? Revising for NEWTs already?"  
  
While Crabbe and Goyle trembled in their boots, Blaise Zambini's head jerked up so quickly he gave himself a whiplash. Blaise moaned as he grabbed the back of his neck. Draco managed to slip a vial into his secret sleeve pocket and answered for the group, "Yes, Professor, we were practicing a transformation potion."  
  
"Very good, I'd say 5 points to Slytherin for your diligence. Each!" Snape smiled slightly. "Tell me, did you test it before you packaged it?"  
  
Nott answered, "No sir, not yet."  
  
"Good," he said darkly, "because I see you have not brewed an antidote." Snape picked up the rack of vials. "For your safety, I'll just hang on to these until I see a satisfactory antidote. Notify me any time you're ready. And next time, brew the antidote first. Carry on." Knowing the Slytherin mind as he did, he was out the door in two strides and on his way to lock up what was probably meant as a prank.  
  
Goyle slapped his fat hands to his face and pulled down, "There goes the plan." He was immediately shushed by everybody in the room.  
  
From the doorway, Zambini watched Professor Snape disappear around the corner without so much of a clink of the vials he carried away. When he signaled the 'all clear,' Draco pulled out the small vial from his sleeve. "Not exactly, Goyle. Now we just have to find the right moment to slip this into Potter's pumpkin juice."  
  
"Draco, you're da bomb!" Crabbe gasped.  
  
"What the hell does that mean?" Malfoy sneered.  
  
The big oaf shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno, I heard one of the first year Hufflepuffs say that to his team seeker after they won the game."  
  
"I've heard it before," Nott chimed in, "it's a Mudblood expression, so don't you dare use it again, you arse."  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
Harry laid awake on his bed, listening to Ron's snoring and Neville's mumbling from behind his bed curtains. He tried clearing his mind and relaxation techniques he'd been taught in Occlumency lessons, but his restless body turned from one position, to another, to yet another. Finally, he decided to risk a venture to the kitchens for a snack. He slipped out of his covers and carefully opened his trunk to retrieve his invisibility cloak.  
  
When Harry reached the portrait to the kitchens, he removed his cloak and bundled it under his arm. He didn't want to scare the house elves into a panic since the first time he entered invisibly and started making a sandwich. The elves had set off the alarm and called the Bloody Baron for help with what they thought was a new ghost. Fortunately, Nearly-Headless Nick answered the alarm too, and with Nick's help, Harry was able to convince the Baron not to report the incident to Professor Snape.  
  
Draco couldn't sleep either. His brain was working overtime on a plan to prank Potter, so he decided to take a walk under the guise of patrol duties as Slytherin prefect. He had just turned the corner to see his target enter the kitchens. "Potter," Draco whispered hoarsely, "I knew I'd catch up to you eventually." The blonde prefect peeked from behind the doorway to watch his nemesis prepare a sandwich and pour himself a glass of pumpkin juice. Potter opened his potions textbook to the page he wanted to read, then walked away to put away the jug. While Potter's back was turned, Malfoy kept his head low and under the counter until he could reach the juice and empty his vial into it. Potter was already reading the text as he turned to sit on the stool with his sandwich in hand. 'Ha! You make this so easy, Potter,' Draco thought to himself. Before Harry's bum touched the stool, Draco tipped it away from him in order to make a distraction for his getaway. With one foot out of the portrait, Draco snickered as he heard the crash and cursing which followed.  
  
Upon finishing his snack, Harry yawned as he finally felt sleepy. Unfortunately, he was too sleepy to return to Gryffindor tower. Still propped on the stool, he pushed his plate and glass away with his arm and pulled his cloak bundle and textbook closer to lay his head. Dobby returned from cleaning Gryffindor tower to find Harry fast asleep on the counter. "Mr. Potter!" Dobby poked and shook the young wizard to wake him. "Sir must wake up and return to his tower!" the little elf squeaked. After several minutes Dobby gave up trying to awaken Harry. Using his own magic, he returned Harry to his bed and put his cloak and book away in his trunk for him.  
  
Harry's eyes flew open when Ron yelled for him to get up. He looked around and thought he was still in a dream because everything seemed so much bigger. As dark as it was from behind the curtains, Harry was surprised how much detail he could take in at once, especially without his glasses. His pajamas were laid on the bed as if the person in them had deflated. Where he was sitting was so soft and warm, it was like he was sitting on a feather pillow.  
  
"HARRY!" Ron yelled as he threw open the bed curtains. "C'mon, mate, we're late for breakfast! Harry?"  
  
"Get out, ya stupid bird!" Ron swatted at the young black raven sitting on his friend's pillow. The bird fluttered to the floor and looked up in shock. "You heard me, get out!" Ron grabbed the nearest broom and chased the black bird to the open window. When it didn't fly away, he closed the window and left it sitting on the ledge.  
  
"Damn it, Harry!" Ron yelled at the empty bed, "You could have at least awaken me!" Ron grabbed his book bag and rushed down the staircase to the Great Hall.  
  
'Merlin's beard! I'm a bloody bird!' Harry sat on the ledge, nearly hyperventilating. 'Okay, what happened last night. I couldn't sleep. I went to the kitchen for a bite to eat. Geez, I can't remember how I got back to bed. Now I'm stuck on this ledge and I can't get back in.' He watched as a flock of owls passed him carrying packages and letters. Out of the hundreds of owls, he spotted her, "HEDWIG!"  
  
Without thinking Harry hopped off the ledge and flapped his wings, "Whoa! What am I doing? I don't know how to fly!" Fortunately he was caught in an air current which caught him as he opened his wings. He spread his tail feathers and discovered he could steady himself and catch more air. Within minutes, he was flying like he had done it all his life. 'Yes, go me!'  
  
'Okay, where's the Great Hall? Just follow the owls, dummy.' Harry circled high above the castle, much like he'd do in a Quidditch match when he would look for the snitch. 'There!' Harry dove and maneuvered into the open windows into Hogwart's Great Hall. Ron was easily spotted at the Gryffindor table by his red hair. Harry landed on the table next to him with a thud. 'Ouch, note to self: work on landing softly.'  
  
"RON!" he squawked. 'Have you seen Hedwig?'  
  
"Stupid bird, why are you following me?" The tall, lanky Weasley picked up the young bird to look for a message. "Wuzzamatter? Lose the letter you were going to deliver?"  
  
"Hello little bird," Hermione ran her fingers down Harry's back. "Would you like a bit of toast?" Harry hopped to her thumb and nibbled crumbs from her palm. "What pretty green eyes you have. That's quite unusual, Ron. Speaking of green eyes, where's Harry?"  
  
"Dunno," Ron muttered with another mouthful of bacon. "I thought he'd be here. He was already gone when I looked in on him this morning." Harry stood up and flapped his wings, 'I AM right here!'  
  
"There you are, Potter!" Draco snatched the black bird from her hand.  
  
"You've got your bird spying on me, Malfoy. No doubt to steal the Gryffindor play book, eh?" Ron pointed accusingly.  
  
"Shut up, Weasley. You haven't a clue about anything."  
  
"Is that right? Then why are you calling your bird 'Potter?' You've got a secret crush on him, haven't you?" Ron lead the Gryffindor table in laughter.  
  
"Like I said, Weasley." Draco held the bird firmly as it struggled to get free. "You haven't a clue about anything." He walked back to the snickering Slytherin table, cradling Harry in his arms.  
  
"It worked!" Pansy squealed softly.  
  
"Of course it worked," Draco answered smuggly, "I didn't make prefect on just my charming personality and natural good looks."  
  
'You did this!' Harry angered and bit Draco's finger.  
  
"OW! I have a mind to break your neck right here and now, Potter. But I want you to squirm a bit longer. Theodore (Nott), how about transfiguring a cage for me. Everyone give him your fork."  
  
Harry was unceremoniously thrown into the cage. 'Malfoy! You know something! You know how I ended up this way! Return me at once!' Harry squawked and beat his wings. As he protested verbally, Pansy did a quick 'silencio' spell. They quietly congratulated each other on a successful prank.  
  
"Let's go, don't want to be late for NEWT Potions, do we? Crabbe, get the cage." Draco ordered as the group split up.  
  
As they filed toward the dungeons, Ron bumped into the cage as he walked behind Hermione. "Watch it, Muggle-lover," Crabbe growled and failed to notice that a note was now attached to the top of the cage. Students trickled into the classroom, as it was the first potions class of the day.  
  
Crabbe set the cage on Snape's desk while Draco chatted with a small collection of girls and left. Draco had his hand on the cage when the Potions Master strode in. "Settle down. Take your seats. Crabbe, out. Anyone else who isn't in this class would do well to get out now, especially you, Weasley."  
  
Ron put Hermione's books on her desk and left. Draco was about to take the cage to his desk when Snape quietly read note, "To Severus, with my love. Draco." Malfoy's eyes widened and shot daggers at the snickering red head outside the classroom door. He turned on his heel and took his seat, leaving the caged Harry on his desk.  
  
Ron ran back to the students who lingered in the Great Hall. "Dean! Shhh, pass it around. Snape has a new pet. If you see him walking around with a black bird, smile and say 'Hi Harry.' "  
  
"Oi, Ginny! Luna!" he lowered his voice to a whisper, "Snape has a new pet. If you see him walking around with a black bird, smile and say 'Hi Harry.' Pass it around."  
  
"Harry?" Luna looked perplexed.  
  
"Yeh, address the bird as Harry. It'll drive Snape crazy!" Ron snickered. Ginny grinned widely and shook her head slowly.  
  
After class, Draco lingered behind. Snape looked up from his desk, "Thank you, Draco. It's a lovely gesture."  
  
"For all you've done for me, Godfather," Draco forced a smile. "I've been calling him Harry Potter, but feel free to retrain him."  
  
"You can be sure I will." Snape sounded menacing to Harry and looked especially scary from where he was sitting. He hid his head under his wing with his little chest feathers puffed out.  
  
_To be continued!_  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
Author's Note: Dang it all, I just changed my profile to say I wouldn't post anything new until I got back from vacation. Then I got bitten by this plot bunny. I think, I hope, I'll be able to post one more chapter before I leave. Please help, what name does Snape WANT to call Raven!Harry? Leave your suggestions in your review. Thanks. 


	2. Chapter 2

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
**Chapter 2** (uploaded 6/22/04)  
  
Severus Snape growled as students walked past and smiled. When they greeted his bird, "Hi, Harry," the little feather ball even lifted his wings and bobbed his head in acknowledgement.  
  
'Haha,' Harry thought, 'I'll just bet Ron put them up to it. So maybe I won't strangle him in his sleep for giving me away. At least it's better than being with Draco.' Harry thought back to his summer when he was taking care of the raven who turned out to be his potions professor.  
  
Once inside Hagrid's hut, Snape put the cage on the table and opened its door. Harry was reluctant to come out. Even though the prank victim knew Hagrid was a gentle soul, he looked so much bigger from his new perspective. Finally, Harry gathered up his Gryffindor courage and ventured onto Hagrid's huge hand. "Hello Harry," he said as he stroked the shiny black feathers with a single finger.  
  
"How do you know his name is Harry?" Snape's eyes narrowed.  
  
"It's all over the school, Perfesser. You've got a new baby raven named Harry."  
  
'I am not his pet,' Harry mentally growled. 'Hey, I'm not a baby!'  
  
"I will not be calling him after the-boy-who-lived. I will rename him later when I've had a chance to think of a good one."  
  
Harry huffed, 'What's wrong with 'Harry'? '  
  
"Wha' brings ya to me hut?"  
  
"I would like your assessment. Is he healthy? Do you think he's a bit scrawny"  
  
'Scrawny? I am not scrawny.' Harry thought.  
  
"He's a young 'un, he'll fill in eventually. If you're worried, you can put some meat on 'is bones w' aviary formula. Jes' mix it wi' water into a mash and feed it with an eye dropper. Once a day should do as a weight gain supplement to his normal feed." Hagrid placed a small sack of powder in front of his colleague. "Do ye need me t' show you?"  
  
"I can handle it, thank you. Now, about training him. How do I get him to accept a new name when he is already responding to 'Harry,' and how do I handle him without getting bitten or losing him to flight?" Snape watched as Hagrid gently stroked the little bird. It seemed to cuddle into his other palm. "He's not biting you like he bites me."  
  
'Mmm, a bit to the left, Hagrid. Yes that's it,' Harry almost got lost in himself until Hagrid got up and dumped him back on Snape. 'Mreow, I wonder if birds can purr?'  
  
"Righ' I've got just the thing. I don't use it much, it's mostly harmless." Hagrid got up and put Harry in front of Snape, who then held him down with both hands around his body. The giant dumped out a jar on the table and sorted through the baubles until he came up with a little bracelet. He set it in front of the other wizard. "There ye are. You 'ave to put it on 'im and the bond is complete when you name him. He'll not harm ye anymore and come when ye call."  
  
Snape's dark eyes gleamed, "Kind of like an imperius curse?"  
  
"No, just a simple bond. He'll still have free will. Ye still 'ave t' use positive an' negative reinforcement fer 'is behavior. I suggest a spritz o' cold water in 'is face fer negative behavior, nothing stronger. Praise and pet 'im when he does good or give 'im a little treat."  
  
Harry mentally whined, 'Bond? I don't want to bond with Snape. Of all the wizards, why Snape? I don't want bird training, I want wizard training!'  
  
"Thank you, Hagrid. Let me know if I can brew anything for you."  
  
"Jes' glad I could help, Sev'rus." Snape gritted his teeth when Hagrid slapped him on the shoulder and forced a tight-lipped smile. He moved his shoulder around to make sure it still worked.  
  
Before putting Harry back in the cage, Snape closed the birdie bracelet around Harry's leg. Harry bit at the silver bracelet and pecked at it. He did not like feeling like he was shackled to Snape. However, he did have to admit, he was feeling less anxious in Snape's presence.  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron sat worriedly in front of Headmaster Dumbledore in the Headmaster's office. Hermione was saying, "It's just that we haven't seen him all day. I don't think he's run away, but maybe someone kidnapped him. Maybe he's hurt and can't get help."  
  
Ron nodded, "I think Malfoy's got something to do with Harry's disappearance." He moved his lemon drop to his other cheek. "I'll just bet he's given him over to a Death Eater."  
  
Ron's statement made Dumbledore's jaw drop as he gazed at the gadget on his desk. He quickly closed his mouth and raised an eyebrow in silent amusement. "Thank you for your concern Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley, however, I can assure you Mr. Potter has not left school grounds and is uninjured. However, I will find him, just to be sure. I say, we're late for lunch! This meeting is adjourned." Everyone got up from their chairs and filed out of the office to the Great Hall. Dumbledore put his hand on Ron's shoulder, "Ron, you have Divination after lunch, don't you?" Ron nodded his affirmation. "Stop by my office after class. Thank you."  
  
Hermione pulled Ron close as they walked down the Hallway. "What are you doing Hermione?," Ron said, shaking off Dumbledore's words.  
  
"Remember back in third year? Professor Lupin said the Marauder's Map never lies. Dumbledore swears Harry is still on school grounds. So let's have a look."  
  
"But it's lunch time, we'll miss out."  
  
"Ronald Weasley, we're talking about our best mate! I would think he ranks before your stomach." she scolded. "Oh fine, let's grab a plate quickly and take it to the Tower."  
  
Ron found the map in Harry's school trunk on top of his invisibility cloak, The common room was empty, as everyone was at lunch. He opened it up on the worktable in front of Hermione. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he tapped his wand on the map.  
  
The two Gryffindor prefects peered over the map as the map revealed rooms and dot representation of students and teachers. "There," Hermione pointed at the dungeons. "He's with Snape and Dumbledore."  
  
"Eww, what he doing with Snape?" Ron asked with a mouthful of sandwich.  
  
"Dunno. Let's find out." Hermione grabbed her sandwich while Ron folded the map and stuffed it into his pocket and somehow managed to stuff his face with a half-sandwich, as well.  
  
Ron muffled, "Let's hurry, it's a long haul to the Divination tower from the dungeons. What?!"  
  
"Ron that's disgusting! I didn't understand a word you said."  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
Professor Dumbledore knocked on the classroom door. "Enter," the baritone voice called from the other side.  
  
"Oh, my!" Dumbledore exclaimed, upon walking in. Snape had been pushing the aviary mush down Harry's throat with an eyedropper and was stroking his new little friend to ease the feeding experience. "Hello, Severus. Hello, Harry."  
  
'Hey, how come everyone but Snape knows who I am?' Harry gagged on the formula. 'Yuck!' he coughed.  
  
"His name is not Harry," the potions master growled. 'Is too!' Harry croaked. Snape closed the large book that he had been perusing since his return from Hagrid's hut.  
  
"I see, have you renamed him then?" Harry hopped on the desk toward Dumbledore.  
  
"Yes, I've decided to call him Munin, after my own memory as a raven," Snape declared smoothly. Just then the band momentarily glowed blue on Harry's leg. When it stopped glowing, it was inscribed 'Munin.' Harry felt a tingle rise from the band all the way up to the tufts on the top of his head. Inwardly, he sighed.  
  
"Oh, dear. Well, it seems the bonding is complete. May I ask why you needed to use a band?"  
  
"Everyone has been calling him Harry and he was responding to the name. I really wanted to rename him. Merlin knows I see and hear enough of that brat. I find this little guy a welcome distraction from my day."  
  
Dumbledore put his hand down and allowed the little raven to hop onto his hand. He stroked the bird's head. "Good on you, Severus. I hope you'll be able to comfort each other, as we are approaching difficult times ahead. May I ask how you got him?"  
  
"It was a gift from my godson. Headmaster, surely you did not come to talk about my new pet."  
  
"You missed lunch. I just wanted to be sure you weren't overworking yourself. But I see you ordered sandwiches and seed from the kitchen." Dumbledore hid his lie but not the twinkle in his eye.  
  
"I am fine, thank you. I paid a visit to our Care of Magical Creatures instructor for some tips. Why do I need to tell you this? You were probably watching that device thing on your desk."  
  
'Dumbledore has a device like the Marauder's Map?' Harry noted. 'One of those shiny things!'  
  
Dumbledore chuckled, "Harry Potter was reported missing. Was he in class this morning?"  
  
'Yes I was,' Harry coo'd.  
  
"No. I suppose you are here to ask me to find him in the Forbidden Forest?" Snape said, lazily.  
  
"Your answer is good enough, thank you. I thought he might be in here with you."  
  
Hermione and Ron peeked through the crack of the door to see Snape and Dumbledore having a conversation across the desk. Ron looked at the map and whispered, "he's s'pposed to be in the room practically on top of Dumbledore. I don't see him."  
  
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore pointed his wand, causing the door to fly open. Ron and Hermione fell into the classroom in a heap. "Thank you for dropping in!"  
  
"Argh! Gerroff me Hermione!" Ron yelled as he stuffed the map into his sleeve.  
  
"Sir?" Ron pulled Hermione up to her feet and dusted himself off. The potions professor looked livid.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Snape stood as his voice rose in volume.  
  
"We were looking for Harry," Hermione answered.  
  
"Potter is obviously not here," Snape sneered, and looked around quickly. "He had better not be in his invisibility cloak. What are you three cooking this time?"  
  
"Oh, he's definitely not invisible," Dumbledore smiled at the black bird who was playing with his beard.  
  
"OUT!" Snape glared at the Gryffindor students and pointed at the door. Harry was startled by Snape's loudness and flew to the top shelf of ingredients.  
  
"Munin, come!" Harry couldn't help himself. He flew to the potion master's shoulder on his command. "Sorry, mate. I didn't mean to yell," Snape said softly to the bird.  
  
"Let's be on our way, now," Dumbledore practically shoved the two Gryffindors out the door and stepped out, as well. But he turned before closing the door, "Severus, I think it will be all right to let Har—, excuse me, Munin fly around now. He's bonded and will come when you call. He still has classes to attend." Dumbledore winked at the raven.  
  
'Classes? I need to go to my classes in this condition?' Harry wondered.  
  
"Well, I suppose you could use the exercise so you don't get so restless indoors. You could make friends in the owlry," Snape spoke softly to his familiar. "If you get around to it, do introduce yourself to the Headmaster's phoenix. Fawkes is a wise and pleasant bird."  
  
'Hedwig! I need to see Hedwig.' He paced impatiently across Snape's shoulders, flying out the small window as soon as it was opened.  
  
Outside the door, Ron stood dumbfounded in the hallway. Hermione grabbed his wrist and pulled him around the corner, "Let's see the map."  
  
Hermione rifled through the old parchment looking for the dungeons. "There's Snape his classroom," Hermione said, "and there we are. Dumbledore's crossing the Great Hall toward his office."  
  
"Whoa, there's Harry! What does that mean? Did Snape just throw him out the window?" Ron asked excitedly as the little black dot fell off the page.  
  
"Shhh, not so loud." Hermione warned. "Mischief managed," she said as she tapped her wand on the map. "Don't be stupid, Ron. We're in the dungeons, which means we're underground. How is he going to fall? There's that little window in the corner of the room for owls that leads outside above ground. I think Snape's raven is Harry! He just flew out the window."  
  
"No way!" Ron had an incredulous expression on his face.  
  
"Don't worry, Ron. We'll get this sorted out. We'd better get to class."  
  
_To be continued..._  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
A/N: Thank you, thank you, my wonderful reviewers: Winnie2, Howl, athenakitty, Persephone Lupin, samson, Anna Taure, Queenie-97, Lucky, Tonysbedroomslave, simpleinsanity.  
  
Virtual cookies go out to Persephone Lupin, Lucky, and Tonysbedroomslave for their name suggestions. I also thought of Midnight, Shadow, or Shady as names. In the end I decided to name him after one of Norse god Odin's two ravens! Thanks for your help.  
  
_Simpleinsanity:_ Sorry for the confusion. Draco and his gang were in the lab NEXT to Snape's office. In my mind, there's more than one dungeon at Hogwarts. Seems to be a pretty big place, don't you think? Funny you should ask about Ron's divination...it seems to be going better than he knows. I wrote that part in the headmaster's office before you asked. 


	3. Chapter 3

**The Raven II  
**  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
A/N: Back from vacation. Funny thing happened on the excursion bus in Alaska. I was sorted into Raven Clan! What a coincidence. The other group was Eagle Clan.  
  
**Chapter 3** (uploaded 7/21/04)  
  
Harry flew out of the potions lab and circled around the castle a couple times to get his bearings and in celebration of his freedom. It bothered him that he was compelled to obey the potions professor when he was ordered off of the shelves. Then he spotted a tower in which owls were flying in and out of open windows. 'The owlry! I'll bet Hedwig is in there.'  
  
"Oi, kid! In or out, no loitering in the window!" the brown school owl hooted behind him.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Harry flew to the nearest available perch. Once he spotted his snowy white owl above him, he flew next to her and shuffled close. "Hi Hedwig, it's me, Harry! Oh, please tell me you can understand what I'm saying."  
  
Hedwig was preening under her wing. Her head popped up and she stared with big round eyes, "Harry! No wonder I couldn't find you this morning in the Great Hall. How long have you been a bird, love?"  
  
"I woke up this way this morning. Aren't you surprised? Hey, we can talk! That's great!" The young wizard was truly happy there was someone he could share his predicament with.  
  
"Yes, love. You'll find that you're able to talk with most birds. There isn't anything that will surprise me at a school of wizardry. I've heard it all. Are you otherwise okay?" Hedwig put her large white wing over Harry's back and pulled him in as close as she could. She started preening the back of his head.  
  
"Unh, what are you doing to me?"  
  
"I'm preening you, love. The feathers on top of your head won't lay down properly. So, have you been eating all right?"  
  
Harry fidgeted. "Thanks Hedwig, Snape gave me aviary formula earlier. Yuk! He thinks I'm scrawny. Look," Harry lifted his talon to show the bracelet, "he's claimed me as his familiar. He can't do that, can he?"  
  
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoot, Hedwig laughed.  
  
"It's not funny, he's ordering me around," Harry croaked. "He's calling me Munin. I mean, why? Everyone else was calling me Harry. I've got so many questions and I admit I'm a little scared of this form. I mean, I can't do magic like this! How am I going to study?" Harry started hyperventilating and his little chest feathers quivered.  
  
Hedwig tightened her hug. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you. I just love the irony. Professor Snape spent the summer as your raven and now you're his raven. You took good care of him, I'm sure he'll return the favor."  
  
An old owl a few paces away snorted as he woke up from his nap, "Here, here, what comes around, goes around. How do you do? I'm Errol."  
  
"Yes, Errol, I know you. I'm Harry Potter. You've delivered mail to me many times."  
  
"Harry Potter? Oh, dear. You've been transformed. Oh, dear." Errol yawned and nodded off again.  
  
Harry blinked a couple times and whispered, "Is that normal? I mean he fell asleep in the middle of conversation." Hedwig ducked as a gray mass of feathers zoomed past her head. She gave an indignant hoot at it. It flapped its little wings wildly as it hovered unsteadily in front of Harry's perch.  
  
"Ya ya ya! That's normal for Errol. The Weasleys want to retire him but he tries very hard to be useful, so they try to give him a little run once in a while. Nothing too important or rushed, you know. Hi Harry, you know me, I'm Pig! You're always nice to me. I like you. If you need anything, anything at all, just let me know. I'm happy to help you. Just let me know, 'cause I like you!"  
  
While Harry giggled at Pig's antics, Hedwig said, "Thank you, Pig. Why don't you go sit over there. A bit more. Just a bit more. Is that as far as you can get? Well, that's fine then. Harry will let you know if he needs anything. That's a good bird."  
  
"What am I going to do, Hedwig?" Harry leaned into Hedwig's chest and sighed. He was comfortable with her.  
  
"It'll work out, Harry. Don't you worry." Hedwig hooted to the little black bird tucked comfortably under her wing.  
  
"So do you know anything about this bonding bracelet? What if I don't obey him, will it hurt?"  
  
"No, love. They've been used for centuries and they're quite harmless. You'll be able to sense his needs and he'll sense yours. You might feel a bit guilty if you don't obey him, but it works both ways."  
  
"Do you mean I can make him obey me? Cool!"  
  
"He doesn't have to 'obey,' Harry. Nor do you. But I think you'll find that you'll care enough about each other that you'll 'want' to do as asked. Actually you don't even have to ask, he'll just know."  
  
"Is it like resisting the Imperius Curse then? I've done that before. Can it be blocked with Occlumency? He's a good Occlumens."  
  
"I wouldn't know. Magical creatures don't learn magic the same way as witches and wizards. We just have it in us. If you attempt it, let me know if it works."  
  
"What if he asks me to deliver a message? I don't know my way around."  
  
"Come see me," Hedwig answered, "I guess I won't be delivering any mail for you, eh little one?" She nuzzled into the tufts of feathers on top of his head.  
  
Fawkes flew in and hovered in front of Harry and Hedwig. "Harry, Headmaster Dumbledore says you should be in class. Arrangements have been made with your professors."  
  
"I can't go to class in this condition!" the little raven whined.  
  
"Now, now, Harry. You are a wizard." Fawkes scolded. "Although this transformation will be a good lesson in life, you must continue your training. NEWTs are very difficult, you must continue your preparation."  
  
"You sound like a professor," Harry replied.  
  
"I have served Hogwarts headmasters for a very long time, even before Albus Dumbledore. Get along, now. The Headmaster would like a word with you after Divination." Hedwig removed her wing and nudged Harry on his way.  
  
"Pig!" Harry flew down to Ron's owl. "Could you lead me to the Divination tower? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks, mate."  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
After class, Harry flew into the open window of the Headmaster's tower. Dumbledore greeted him as he landed quietly next to Fawkes, "Hello, Harry. I'm afraid I can't understand you, but you need to hear what I have to say."  
  
"You're probably wondering how I know who you are. This device on my desk tells me who is on Hogwarts grounds and their general state of health, much like Molly Weasley's clock. You've seen it, I'm sure." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Harry as he offered his hand and watched Harry step up. "During the summer holidays all these little dots, rest at the bottom. See how the dots are grouped? Those are classes in session. This shiny black one is Professor Snape. This green one is Professor McGonagall. Here's a orange-red one, that's your friend, Ron Weasley, in Divination class. This other orange-red one is Ginny Weasley, in Charms. Oh my, three years ago, with five Weasleys in attendance, I wasn't always able to one Weasley from another. But I regress."  
  
"As for your condition, I think it's best to let it progress normally. I'm sure it's a prank. So it's a reversible condition which can serve a purpose. Death Eater activities are on the rise and you are at the top of Lord Voldemort's list. I haven't found a way to break the news to Professor Snape yet about your true identity, but while you are bonded to him, he'll feel compelled to protect you. So consider yourself in hiding. I have made it a secret that you are away in protective custody, that way the whole school will find out by the end of the day."  
  
"As for your subjects, you are still a student here with the ability to attend classes. You are responsible for your work, so once you are restored, we'll sit down with your professors and discuss how you will make up your homework and exams. If you have any questions, I suppose Fawkes might be able to answer some of them, he's been around a few dozen times." Harry nodded his understanding and glanced at the fiery-red phoenix.  
  
"I've tried to find a way to tell Professor Snape who you are. But I've decided that it's better that he doesn't know, just in case Lord Voldemort decides to extract your whereabouts from him. Your mates, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger know who you are and I've already told them to start calling you Munin because you're in hiding."  
  
"Well then, it's dinner time. I'm sure Professor Snape is wondering what you've been up to. Let's walk down together." Harry climbed up Dumbledore's sleeve to ride into the Great Hall on Dumbledore's shoulder. He spotted Hermione and Ron at once and glided down to the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Oi, Harry," Ron greeted the black bird after washing down a mouthful with pumpkin juice. Hermione broke open a roll and put it on an empty plate so that the little raven could pick at the crust. "Shh, Ron. His name is," the brown-haired witch examined the bracelet on Harry's leg, "it's Munin. Harry's gone into protective custody."  
  
"Did I hear right?" Neville asked. "Dumbledore has taken Harry out of school to protect him?"  
  
"Shh, Neville, it's supposed to be a secret," the bushy-haired prefect whispered. "Voldemort is after him and Dumbledore has to protect the rest of the students, as well, so he's sent Harry away." Naturally, that started a hushed chain reaction as the 'secret' spread through the Great Hall.  
  
Harry had a feeling. He looked up at the teacher's table and saw Snape staring at him intently. 'Get away from the bloody Gryffindors, Munin,' he thought. Harry coo'd at his best friends, 'Sorry, gotta go.'  
  
Harry flew off the table and landed in Draco Malfoy's messy blonde hair. 'Well, if it wasn't messy before, it is now. Wheee!' Malfoy waved his arms around to swat at the pesky bird but Harry was too quick. 'Fine, I'm at the Slytherin table now! Hahaha, whoops, that was a bit close.'  
  
'Munin, stop that! Go to your cage this instant.' Snape mentally ordered his familiar.  
  
Although Harry didn't hear the words, he knew what Snape wanted. 'I think I'm feeling rebellious,' Harry thought, 'I guess now's a good time to test this bracelet thing. Fine, I'll stop messing with Malfoy, but I didn't hear about the cage.' Harry proceeded to waddle down the Slytherin table, knocking over goblets, hopping into their pudding and flapping his wings madly to get it all over everyone at the table. "Accio raven!" Snape called. 'Whoa!' Harry screeched as he was summoned into Snape's outstretched hand. He was shoved into a robe pocket and quickly carried to the dungeons.  
  
When he was finally uncovered, Harry found himself in an unfamiliar place. It was a nice bathroom, decorated with ocean foam green tiles. He was placed on top of the sink while Snape ran the water to a comfortable temperature. "Look at you," he scolded his bird, "you're a mess. What were you thinking when you jumped into the pudding? You were just itching to get into trouble weren't you? Maybe I should be calling you Harry Potter, what do you think about that?"  
  
He was picked up and put into the water up to his neck. Harry panicked, 'Oh my god, he's going to drown me now!' Harry started flapping his wings, but Snape's big hands held him firmly in the water with his wings pinned. "Shhh," Snape said in his softest voice, "I'm not going to drown you. Your feathers are sticky with pudding and juice. However, you will remain in your cage for the rest of the evening to keep you out of trouble. I've still got papers to mark and detentions to supervise. If I have time, maybe I can train you to be useful." Once Harry calmed down, Snape's nimble fingers started rubbing the feathers on his belly, then on his back, helping Harry to relax further. "There's a good bird."  
  
Harry was picked up and wrapped in a fluffy towel before he was allowed to shake off the excess water. "You're in Slytherin now, Munin. We Slytherins, even at our bravest hour, don't just charge in without thinking ahead to the consequences. We plan ahead, we use our connections, subtly and finesse are key." When Harry was release from the towel, Snape put him in his cage and covered him with black cloth.  
  
When he was uncovered, Harry found himself on the credenza behind Snape's office desk. The potions professor had his back turned and was marking a stack of papers. He answered the timid knock on his door with a typically curt, "Enter."  
  
"S-s-sir?" the chubby-cheeked Gryffindor walked in with a pale face.  
  
"Longbottom, you're here for detention. Go down to the greenhouses and harvest these ingredients for me." Snape pointed to a parchment at the edge of his desk. "You've somehow managed to survive to your sixth year, I don't expect I need to supervise you for this task. Professor Sprout will be there talking to her plants, no doubt. Go on, get moving." Neville's shaky hand took the list from Snape's desk and ran off.  
  
An unfamiliar low growl came from the potion master's throat. 'Is he laughing?' Harry pecked at the bars of his cage to gain his attention. 'Stupid, greasy overgrown bat, he enjoys picking on Neville.' Snape could feel Harry's anger rising and turned toward his pet, but he thought Munin just wanted to be let out.  
  
"See there, Munin? Neville's quite good at Herbology. He was being bullied this afternoon in the hallway. I saved him from embarrassment and gave him detention in the process. He doesn't realize he's paying me back for saving him. Draco's gang missed their opportunity on an easy target."  
  
'What kind of twisted Slytherin thinking is that?' Harry gaped. 'Besides, Neville can hold his own, he's not an easy target anymore.'  
  
"You're quite stubborn, aren't you, Munin? Not to worry, I'll train you up properly." Snape said softly to his raven and turned back to the stack of papers. While Snape scratched away and made off-handed comments to himself, Harry set to working on his feathers. They had gotten a bit ruffled in the bathing and drying process. He didn't really understand why he was doing this or how he knew what to do, it just seemed instinctive.  
  
He had gotten the biggest feathers straightened out and was working on little feathers on his back when a solid knock on the office door startled him. "Enter," Snape answered.  
  
"Professor," it was Draco Malfoy. Upon making eye contact with the black bird, he scowled at it, but changed his demeanor quickly to address the head of his house. "We were wondering if we could continue to revise in the laboratory. We'd like to work on that antidote."  
  
"That's fine. May I see your recipe?"  
  
"Oh. Well, I didn't write it down. It's in this book, though." Malfoy snapped his fingers and Goyle stepped forward with a large faded book.  
  
"Come back when you have written it down in your own hand. I want to make sure you all understand what you are doing before you attempt this potion."  
  
Malfoy huffed as he turned to exit the office. "Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy? Something you wanted to add?"  
  
"No sir." Malfoy's eyes narrowed and the right side of his mouth turned up, "Are you enjoying your pet?"  
  
"He has a lot to learn. As it is, he is being punished for that little stunt he pulled at supper time."  
  
Malfoy laughed openly, and his gang of Slytherins joined in as the blonde teen nodded. Harry squawked loudly to voice his irritation. 'I'll get you Malfoy!'  
  
_To be continued...  
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----- ooOoo -----  
  
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Simpleinsanity, starangel2106, Sky, Lady Shang, tall oaks, Anna Taure, Shadow Dragon Boss, ataraxis (x2), Lucky, Persephone Lupin, romm. I love the questions you all ask.  
  
_Simpleinsanity_: I did a web search on Odin/Wotan and found out about his ravens. I like that they're a pair. I think SS liked his previous raven experience and has a fondness for ravens.  
  
_Ataraxis_: To quote an instructor I once had, "It's the same, but different." In the timeline, it's a continuation.  
  
_Lucky:_ I hope this chapter answered some questions. When I figure it out, so will Harry, LOL!


	4. Chapter 4

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
A/N: Whoops, I had too much time and relaxation between chapters and I left a little (not important) hole in the last chapter. At the end of Dumbledore's talk with Ron and Hermione, he told Ron to stop by the office after class. Just so you know, that's when Dumbledore told Ron "the secret" about Harry being in hiding, who naturally told Hermione.  
  
**Chapter 4** (uploaded 7/27/04)  
  
The next visitor of the evening was Professor McGonagall, Harry's Transfiguration instructor. "Minerva, how may I help you?"  
  
"I'm sure you've heard that Albus has placed Harry Potter with a member of the Order for his protection."  
  
"The news is all over the school. Honestly, that man could stand to learn a thing or two about keeping a secret. It will be all over the Daily Prophet by tomorrow morning."  
  
"Because of Mr. Potter's absence the Gryffindor team needs to try out and train a new seeker." Snape looked bored and suddenly found his empty tea cup very interesting. McGonagall continued unfazed, "I've come to talk to you about how you've booked the Quidditch pitch. Really, Severus, the Slytherin team isn't even there for the whole time you've booked the pitch. Most days they show up, half-heartedly toss the quaffle around for a half hour before withdrawing to the locker room."  
  
"They've been working on strategy lately."  
  
"Then they shouldn't book the pitch for more than the half hour they're going to use it."  
  
"I'll have a talk with the team captain. Anything else?" Snape raised his eyebrows and had a smug look on his face.  
  
"Harry Potter..."  
  
"Again?" his mood took a sarcastic turn, "You do realize the world does not revolve around Potter, don't you? Hogwarts shall go on without him."  
  
"We were talking about Quidditch. This is about Mr. Potter's studies."  
  
"Oh, let me guess. Special boy, special circumstances, special favors. Maybe I should just pass him through the whole year. Listen, we had a deal that he had to prove he could handle the work by Halloween or I would drop him from the course. A favor to you, as I recall. His work has barely been acceptable until now." Harry's head popped out of under his wing to squawk, 'Bastard! You're calling two favors for the same thing! Hers and mine.' Snape felt Harry's anger again and opened the cage to calm him down, but the angry bird attacked his fingers when they passed the threshold of the door. "Fine you can just stay in there and cool off." Snape slammed the cage door and covered him up to let him stew the dark. "So what are you asking, Minerva?"  
  
"We were talking about Mr. Potter's potions work."  
  
"Must you keep bringing up that name? Look, Potter is out of the school and out of my hair, not my responsibility any longer. It could well work out that I don't have to allow him back in my class when he returns so that I only have to deal with him like I do Longbottom."  
  
"For harvesting potion ingredients?"  
  
"How could you accuse me of such? I saved Longbottom today from bullying and embarrassment today. I didn't even have him do anything difficult and I didn't take points. How many times have I saved Potter's arse, even when I wasn't asked to?"  
  
"I would expect that from any professor here. However, you're not doing Mr. Longbottom any favors by giving him detention for getting bullied. At any rate, Mr. Potter is in hiding for his safety, as well as everyone else at this school. I only ask that you allow him to pick up where he left off when he returns."  
  
"Oh sure, Potter gets special treatment from everybody because he's the hero of the wizarding world. He is excused from classes while he gets to play hide and seek," Snape ranted on. 'No I'm not,' Harry croaked under the covered cage, 'I have to attend classes.' Snape snorted, "Who is protecting him, anyway, Lupin? It's not like the werewolf has a job."  
  
"That's information given on a need to know basis. Apparently, Albus doesn't think I need to know. He says only that he's being well cared for and that he will keep up with the lectures, though he hasn't told me how that's being done either."  
  
"Then I hope that applies to his potions studies as well. I will test him when he returns and make my decision then."  
  
"Fair enough. One last thing, I have to go to London tomorrow. Would you mind taking supervision duty in Hogsmeade?"  
  
"Why not, Severus Snape has nothing better to do with his time on a Saturday. It's not like he needs to train his baby raven to be useful," he said sardonically.  
  
"You're so cute like that," She got up to leave, "Thank you, Severus. Have a pleasant evening."  
  
Though he couldn't see, Harry heard everything from his covered cage. He cackled when McGonagall said Snape was cute. 'She can be as sarcastic as Snape!' Realizing what she said before running down the hall, he jumped to the doorway to call to her, "I am not cute!"  
  
Snape had already finished his work for the evening before McGonagall's arrival, so he wasted no time in closing up his office. He carried the baskets of fresh potions ingredients, neatly bundled and labeled, in his arms so he had Munin out of his cage and riding on his shoulder to the storage dungeon. As Snape put the bundles on the shelves to dry, Harry hopped off his shoulder and waddled around the top shelves. Out of sight of anyone looking up from the floor, he found a rack of vials labeled 6th year Slytherin experiment. Curiously it was dated the day before Harry woke up as a bird. 'Malfoy, that's how he did it. He was going to make the antidote tonight. Well, I'm supposed to be in hiding. He can't be too fast about it.'  
  
"Munin, let's go," Snape called. Harry, flew down to his shoulder and rode down the hallway until Snape stopped in front of a bust of Salazar Slytherin. He bent over and whispered the password into the stone ear, "Hugin and Munin." The wall behind the statue revealed a door, which opened for the potions master.  
  
Harry glanced around the room and shivered as the realization hit him how cold and impersonal it was. It was furnished like the rest of the castle, with an overstuffed sofa and a couple of armchairs next to the fireplace over a dark area rug, much like the Slytherin common room Harry had seen in his second year. Snape used the other half of the room as his study and library. He had an extensive collection of books and seemed to have an ongoing project, if the state of his work table was any indication. Off the main room there were two more doorways, one lead into a darkened hallway.  
  
Snape felt Munin's chill and pointed his wand at the fireplace, "Incindio." When it roared to life, Harry startled and jumped off of his shoulder with a squawk, landing on the padded rug behind the sofa. Snape was about to go chasing after the bird when his attention was diverted.  
  
"Severus," the head fireplace called. "Where have you been? I've been waiting all night for you to light your fireplace."  
  
"Good evening, Lucius. My office hours are until 8 o'clock, but I was detained by a colleague. What is so important that you would wait all night to talk to me?" Severus addressed the head in the fireplace. Harry observed from under the couch.  
  
"I've heard through sources in the Ministry that Harry Potter is not at the school."  
  
Snape snorted and shook his head in disbelief at the speed in which this "secret" traveled the grapevine. However, Lucius took that as confirmation of his statement. "As one of his professors, would you know where he went? Certainly you're forwarding his assignments to him, are you not?"  
  
"The headmaster has not divulged this information with me or any other teacher in this school, to my knowledge. And no, I have not been asked to forward his assignments, nor has his head of house."  
  
"See what you can find out then. According to Draco, tomorrow is Hogsmeade Saturday. Let's meet up at the Three Broomsticks, say noonish?"  
  
"That's fine. I have to supervise the students in Hogsmeade, anyway."  
  
Malfoy nodded and disappeared from the fireplace with a crack. Left with a bad taste in his mouth, Snape extinguished the fire. "So much for warmth. Did you notice how cold it got when he popped in?" Harry laughed from under the couch.  
  
"Munin?" Snape called. Harry crawled from under the couch and waddled to the potion professor's shoe. He pecked at his shoe buckle to get attention. "There you are," Snape picked up his little friend. "Do you see what I have to put up with? I thought a fire would be nice tonight, but I've changed my mind. It's not easy, you know, playing both sides. I hate it, I really do. For one thing, Malfoy's trying to get information from me so that he could take credit from the Dark Lord. I get no recognition from either side. I can't else my cover will be blown one way or the other. No, I must stay in the shadows where nobody sees me. Ever hear the expression 'Out of sight, out of mind?' That's me. If they don't see me, they don't remember who really did the deed. Someone, undoubtedly steps in and takes the credit." Harry listened to Snape's little rant and wanted to make him feel better, so he did what Hedwig would do for Harry. He made his way up Snape's arm and leaned into the black clad chest in front of him, playfully nipping at fingers whenever they came in close enough. He got the feathers behind his head and neck ruffled in return and sat quietly that way for a while.  
  
Snape was brought out of his thoughts when a little spark popped in his fireplace. "Ugh, another fire call." Snape quickly grabbed his black cloak and wand. Jumping at the action, Harry flew to Snape's shoulder. "You don't have to come, but I welcome the company." They exited quickly and quietly.  
  
Harry noticed how thorough and methodical Snape was whenever he did anything, and patrolling the halls of Hogwarts was no exception. He stopped in front of the one-eyed witch and prodded it, grabbing its shoulders and attempted to shake it. 'Still trying to figure that one out, eh Snapey?' Harry thought to himself.  
  
Snape strode past the gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office, stopped and turned around. He started to say the pass word, but then turned to continue in his original direction. Squawk! The gargoyle jumped out of the way and the door opened. "Ahh, Severus. Patrolling again," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled brightly despite the dim lighting in the hallway. "Hello, little raven," long white fingers reached out of Dumbledore's purple sleeve to scratch behind Harry's head and smooth down the tufts on top of his head. Harry leaned into the comforting touch.  
  
"I was wondering, Headmaster, is there somewhere I might send Mr. Potter's homework assignments?"  
  
"Always to the point, aren't you, Severus? I'm afraid Mr. Potter is in no position to write essays and such. He has to stay mobile and be prepared to fly off at a moment's notice," Dumbledore affectionately tapped Harry under his beak as he said that. "We can't have him saddled down with tomes or leave evidence of where he's been."  
  
"Thank you, anyway, Professor." Severus bowed his head in thought and rushed through the rest of the hallways to his chamber. He headed straight for his desk and scribbled out a note on a small parchment. "Munin, your first assignment. This is addressed to Harry Potter but I don't want you to deliver it to him. Just fly around tonight, have fun, lose the note in a pond or a cave or up a tree." However, before attaching it to the raven's leg, Snape tapped it with his wand and waited for the neon glow to dissipate before tearing off a corner. 'Tracing charm! What are you up to?' Harry glared.  
  
Harry never got his answer. When Snape opened the little owl hole in his room, like one in the potions classroom, Harry flew out of the castle and straight to Dumbledore's window, but upon arriving, Fawkes informed him that the headmaster had turned in for the evening. Harry flew back out the window, 'Fine, then I'm just going to fly around all night. He can go on a wild goose chase, for all I care.' Harry huffed as he flew away from Hogwarts, but he spotted the owlry tower out of the corner of his eye. 'Ooooh, I wonder if Hedwig is busy. I won't be doing myself any favors by getting lost.' So he turned around and flew to Hedwig.  
  
"Hedwig?" Harry croaked softly, "are you sleeping?"  
  
"No, my love. Owls are nocturnal." Hedwig's head turned around 360 degrees, "What do you have there, a midnight delivery?"  
  
"Yeah, it's for Harry Potter. But I'm supposed to lose the letter. Anyway, I just want to fly around tonight. Can you come with me so that I don't get lost?"  
  
He and Hedwig flew out into the cool night sky. Hedwig hooted, "I hate to tell you this, but according to the charm, you've already had a successful delivery to Harry Potter."  
  
_To be continued..._

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A/N: A million thanks to every reviewer for their comments and questions, including starangel2106, Mayahissss, ataraxis, Artimis2003, Spezlee, Silverthreads, Athena Dumbledore, Caytin Lowe, 731nisei, lillinfields, tall oaks, LyonsRoar, Mikee, KC, texasjeanette, El loco uno, skipastarseeker, Persephone Lupin, Wren Truesong, Curie.  
  
_Starangel2106:_ Wow, your review came in like two minutes after I posted chapter 3!  
  
_Tall oaks:_ Dumbledore was going to tell Snape about Raven!Harry but he had the bright idea of hiding Harry under everyone's noses.  
  
_El loco uno:_ Thanks for the cookie! Had it with hot chocolate for breakfast.  
  
_Persephone Lupin:_ ROFL, you're getting ahead of me. But if "don't ask, don't tell" isn't a Slytherin rule, it should be. Sorry, no more Head 'n Shoulders™ in the story. Snape only had a sample bottle couldn't find anymore in the wizarding shops when he ran out. They gave him a funny look when he asked about it, so he stopped asking around.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
A/N: Wow, a second update in less than a week, and it's a longer chapter, too! I am very motivated by your reviews, but this was also an easy chapter to write. So, if OC stands of Original Character, could OBC stand for Original Bird Character? LOL, consider that a warning! Oh yeh, because of some swearing and violence in this chapter, I've raised the rating from G to PG.  
  
**Chapter 5** (uploaded 7/30/04, minor revisions 8/2/04)  
  
_Hedwig hooted, "I hate to tell you this, but according to the charm, you've already had a successful delivery to Harry Potter."_  
  
"Oh no, what am I going to do then?" Harry cawed as he followed the snowy white owl I through the darkness.  
  
"Come along, sweetheart, I have some friends we can call on." Hedwig lead her Harry far from Hogwarts. Fortunately, Harry was young and full of energy and a damn strong flyer. In the bright moonlight of the full moon, they came to a loch where several geese prepared their bedding for the night among the shrubs. The black and white birds (Harry and Hedwig) took a perch on a tree limb. Hoo-hoo-hoot! "Hello my friends."  
  
"Hello there," the male goose honked. "You're quite an odd pair."  
  
"Boris, it's a bit early to migrate south, isn't it? I wasn't expecting to see you here," Hedwig replied. Hedwig's head spun around to face Harry, "Boris and his family come from Iceland every year. They stop here for a few days and go on to Wales usually."  
  
"I was nearly shot down by hunters last season," the goose honked while his family looked on. "We chose to stay in this area for the year. We'll be going further south this year when it gets colder. Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"  
  
"Sorry, this is Munin. We met at the school that my boy wizard attends."  
  
"Hello, Munin, wonderful name for a Raven. We worked on a farm this year. Chased away weasels and foxes who came to steal chickens. We kept the gardens free of bugs. It's a nice life, but I prefer the freedom to travel. I guess I'm just a wild goose at heart."  
  
"Can I ask a favor of you?" Hedwig asked.  
  
"Anything for you, Hedwig. Did she tell you, Munin, that when I got shot, Hedwig managed to find a healing potion at the school. She brought it to me and I was right as rain in a week. I could have flown home after Hedwig's treatment, but I was a bit shy to be in the air during hunting season."  
  
"You're all right now, then?" Hedwig hooted.  
  
"Perfectly fine. It was a nice rest on the farm. I'm afraid we've each put on more than a few pounds. If I'd put on any more weight, I'd have been too fat to fly off the farm and I'd have ended up on the farmer's dinner table. So I packed up the family and we decided to stay here for a bit. The goslings love it here, look how big they've gotten. Anyhonk, we really need to work off the fat, so we'll be flying further south this year. What did you need from me, dearest?"  
  
"Right!" Hedwig pulled off the parchment tied to Harry's leg and flew down to the goose. "Just take this with you when you fly south. Leave it somewhere, doesn't matter where, really. In a muddy pond or something of that sort. If some wizards come looking for it, drop it and run. What ever you do, don't get caught with it or you will be someone's dinner. Oh, and stay away from London."  
  
"No worries. Flying off already?"  
  
"Yes, I've got to get this young bird home, it's past his bed time. Thank you so much, Boris. Please be careful."  
  
"Right, great seeing you again, Hedwig," Boris honked.  
  
Some time mid-morning, Harry woke up in the owlry under Hedwig's wing. He snuggled into the fluffy white feathers before realizing where he was. "Shhh, go back to sleep, love. We're back at Hogwarts and you don't have to go to him until he calls."  
  
----- ooOoo -----  
  
"Mr. Jones, you are a second year. You cannot go to Hogsmeade." Snape growled. "Stupid Hufflepuff." It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. He had to collect permission slips and check off the names before venturing into Hogsmeade himself.  
  
"Mr. Creevey, I must have your permission slip." Snape snatched the permission slip from his hands and looked down his list to check off the name, "Gryffindor, third year, right. Be back by four o'clock. Don't think I don't know you snuck into Hogsmeade last year."  
  
Later, Pigwidgeon, Ron's little hyperactive owl, lead Harry into Hogsmeade and quickly found Ron and Hermione walking around with Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Seamus. Pig landed on top of Ron's red head, but when Harry tried to land on Hermione's shoulder, he quickly found himself entangled in her long bushy hair. He flapped wildly trying to break loose, but it only made things worse. Luna and Ginny reached in to help free the black bird. "Shhh," Luna said calmly, "relax, little raven. We'll get you out." Harry stopped flapping and let the girls untangle his feathers and talon's from Hermione trap.  
  
"Hahaha, look!" Draco Malfoy called to the Gryffindors, "Mudblood caught herself a bird!" The rest of the Slytherins with him laughed along with him.  
  
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Neville yelled back.  
  
By now, Harry had been freed and was accepting the petting and attention from Ginny and Luna. He suddenly flew up to the top of a roof and called CAW! CAW! CAW! Harry screeched and flew straight at Draco. The blond prefect ducked and covered his hair with his hands as Harry dive bombed his nemesis. Splat! As the raven pulled up, his position was taken by Pig. Splat! Then another bird, then another. Before they knew it, all kinds of birds were taking a turn at their targets. Owls joined in, pigeons, lots of pigeons, from tiny humming birds to a stray goose! "Snape's coming, everyone scram!" Harry screeched to his new friends. A loud BANG came out of the potion master's wand as he ran toward the center of town and the birds flew off in different directions.  
  
"Where'd they come from, Harry?" Pig asked his new best friend atop the lamppost.  
  
"Hedwig introduced me around last night." Harry puffed his feathers out.  
  
The ruckus had attracted most of the student population into the town square to witness the spectacle. The Gryffindors were laughing too hard, to the point of tears. "Break it up," Snape looked down his nose at Malfoy and his followers. "That's disgusting. Get out of my sight. Back to the castle at once."  
  
Lucius caught the last part of the bird attack and recognized his son when Draco looked up from under his poop-covered arms and caught his eye. The older Malfoy gave a nasty scowl and turned his back dramatically in a whirl of robes as soon as he realized who it was. Draco, of course, knew what that meant. He was visibly dejected, not to mention embarrassed in front of most of Hogwart's student population.  
  
Still watching from the lamppost, they watched the tall billowy-robed professor meet Lucius Malfoy outside the Three Broomsticks. They shook hands, and went inside. They were followed in by Avery and a skinny person who kept a wide brimmed hat pulled down to keep his or her face hidden. Harry flew down to the threshold.  
  
"What are you doing?" Pig said, excitedly from the rooftop. "Can I come too?"  
  
"No, stay out here, I need to hear what they're saying."  
  
"Don't walk in," Pig said, "you'll get stepped on. It's always best to fly."  
  
"I'll be okay, go back to Hogwarts." Pig flew off, then came back as Harry tried to get the timing of the door so that he could walk in without getting squashed. Pig screeched, "Harry! This side, they're sitting by an open window. We can sit on the ledge." "Shhh, be quiet!" Harry insisted Pig go back to Hogwarts and was finally left alone on the window sill. Pig was very noisy and excitable. He couldn't be trusted to stay quiet, even if he managed not to say anything for two minutes.  
  
Harry's raven wings were very quiet in flight and in landing. When Harry took his position in the window, he peered into the room and caught Snape's gleaming eyes. 'He saw me.' Harry put his body down, mostly behind the wall, so that only his head was visible in the tiny corner of the window. Even then he was in a shadow and not easily seen. The three other Death Eaters had their backs against the wall and window to face the entrance of the establishment. Snape had his back to the entrance and faced the window.  
  
Lucius was heard to order, "Tea."  
  
"The usual, Professor?" Madam Rosmerta asked.  
  
"I think..." Snape started to say.  
  
"He'll have tea," a familiar harsh female voice said. 'Sounds like Bellatrix,' Harry thought.  
  
"What's going on?" Snape asked softly.  
  
"Did you find anything out?" Lucius asked.  
  
"Tea's here," sounded like Avery. Harry remembered him from last year's vision and fight at the Ministry.  
  
"Sorry to do this to you, Severus. This is Veritaserum. Avery and Bella are here to witness, it's this or be summoned to the Dark Lord for a more, let's call it, intense line of questioning. And I assure you, if you're summoned, your arm isn't the only thing that will burn."  
  
Bella laughed as the pale man with big nose sniffed the potion bottle, "You act like this is a fine wine. It's just Veritaserum. Does the vintage meet your standards, my dear potions master?"  
  
"Just making sure. I've got nothing to hide, I don't know any more than I told you last night, Lucius," Snape said smoothly. "Stop, three drops is all you need. Any more than that is a waste."  
  
"Finish the whole cup, Snape," Avery said. Snape leaned back as he drained his teacup.  
  
Lucius began with the questioning, "What is your name and occupation?"  
  
"Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Head of Slytherin House."  
  
"Fine. Now lie to me." Lucius asked, "Are you a Death Eater?"  
  
"I – I can't," Snape strained, "I bear the mark of a Death Eater."  
  
"It's working," Lucius nodded.  
  
"Who have you questioned about the whereabouts of Harry Potter?"  
  
"Potter's Head of House, Minerva McGonagall. Headmaster Dumbledore."  
  
"What did you find out?"  
  
"Gryffindor is trying out new seekers, they want me to allow their team to schedule the pitch."  
  
"Severus, focus!" Lucius slapped the table, "on Harry Potter."  
  
"She doesn't know where he is. But apparently he's being well cared for."  
  
"By whom? Is that all she said?"  
  
"I don't know. She said I'm cute." Severus chuckled.  
  
The Death Eaters joined in laughter. "She didn't!"  
  
"I am incapable of telling a lie at the moment."  
  
"Apparently she needs new glasses." Lucius snickered.  
  
"What did the headmaster say?"  
  
"He said Potter was in no position to write essays."  
  
"So what did you do?"  
  
"I sent a note with a tracing charm." Snape pulled the piece of parchment from his pocket. "but I haven't – ugh!"  
  
"Veritaserum's wearing out," Bella croaked. "Give him more."  
  
"It's okay," Lucius said. "Hand it over, Severus."  
  
"No, I haven't checked it yet." Snape's voice was dry as the parchment was snatched from his fingers. "At least let me verify it first. I wouldn't want you to give it to the Dark Lord, only to find yourself in a wild goose chase." Harry gasped at the statement, he wanted to roll over laughing. 'Give it! Give it to them! Wild goose chase indeed!'  
  
"Well, well. Successful delivery to its addressee. Good job, Severus. Let's go." Lucius ordered, followed by a coin dropping on the table and chairs scraping on the floor. Severus walked outside, Harry could hear the cracks of several people disapparating.  
  
Snape took some deep breaths to clear his mind then walked back into the town square and called his familiar. "Munin, I told you NOT to deliver to Harry Potter. If anything happens to him I'll have myself to blame. I suppose you only thought you needed to complete your mission. I must tell the Headmaster at once and have him moved." Harry nipped gently at Snape's fingers as they sat on the park bench. 'Aww, I didn't know you cared,' Harry's sarcasm turned to surprise. 'Hey, you're serious!'  
  
Snape let his familiar fly off on his own until he finished his Hogsmeade patrol. He walked in and out of shops without coming away with any packages and was called on several times to handle student mischief. 'Wow, he's not taking points or giving detentions, he must be really worried.' Harry observed for a while from rooftops, trees, and lampposts.  
  
Eventually bored, Harry flew back to Hogwarts and saw Lucius Malfoy on a broom peering into the Headmaster's tower through the open window. Once he was satisfied there was nothing of interest, he flew into the Forbidden Forest. Harry, naturally curious, followed him to a dim clearing, where his freshly bathed son and two goons waited with Lestrange and Avery. Lucius threw the broomstick at his son, who handed it to Crabbe. "Leave us, we need to have a father son talk," the senior Malfoy asked. Crabbe and Goyle walked back to the castle with a sympathetic look toward Draco. Avery and Lestrange gave a snort of disgust and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.  
  
Harry watched quietly from the shadows. "Boy, you were an embarrassment today to all that pureblood wizards stand for!" Lucius grabbed Draco's collar and held him nose-to-nose. "How could you?! Covered in bird shit! I'm not even sure there's a spell to call birds to do that, yet you managed to let it happen to you." Draco tried to speak, but his wind was cut off. "Shut up, I don't want to hear any pathetic excuses. Turn around." Draco was thrown against the tree trunk. With his eyes now rimmed with red, Draco slowly turned around and braced himself against the tree. THWACK! Harry jumped at the sound and flew away.  
  
"Oh shit! Oh shit! What do I do? Professor Dumbledore's not here." Harry flew blindly out of the Forest, pushed by the adrenalin released in his 'fight or flight' response. He could still hear Lucius's cane striking down. He wasn't sure if it was real or an echo in his head. Then he spotted his friend tending the cabbages, "Hagrid!"  
  
The little raven came down quickly, squawking excitedly. "What's wrong, Munin? Is Perfessor Snape in trouble?" Harry shook his head and flew to the farthest tree, still within sight of the giant professor. He hopped up and down, squawking, "Hurry Hagrid! Follow me, oh please understand me."  
  
"You want me to follow you?" Hagrid threw down his spade and picked up the crossbow that was leaning up against his hut. Hopping from tree to tree, Harry lead him directly to the last place he knew Draco to be. It was pretty hard for Hagrid to be quiet with those big feet of his. Harry perched in a tree and watched Lucius run off, but he didn't see the blonde sixth year, so he fluttered down to a pile of robes at the base of the tree Draco had used to steady himself. Upon his discovery, Harry said to himself, 'Malfoy, beat his own son to a bloody pulp. I thought Uncle Vernon was bad, but I've never been beaten like this.'  
  
"Good job, Munin," Hagrid looked down with watery eyes. Malfoy moaned as he was gently picked up off the ground and heaved over Hagrid's wide shoulder. Harry rode on the other shoulder to deliver Malfoy to the infirmary.  
  
Professor Snape's long legs quickly carried him to Malfoy's bed. Draco was asleep, face down. Madame Pomfrey said nothing, but carefully pulled back the sheet that covered his back to reveal the wounds among bruises and welts on his back. Snape said nothing, but his face twitched at his jaws as his face tightened. "I found 'im in th' forest like that, Perfessor," Hagrid spoke quietly from the chair he'd been sitting on. "Munin brought me to 'im. He was already in shock when I brought 'im 'ere." Snape's black eyes shifted from his student to his bird. "I'd better be getting' on now that yer 'ere."  
  
Snape nodded, "Thank you, Hagrid."  
  
Harry hopped to Snape's arm as Hagrid passed. Poppy, knowing Severus preferred sit quietly with his charges until they awoke, went back to her office. Once they were alone, Snape claimed the unoccupied chair for himself to sit and stroke his friend's feathers. "You're a good boy, Munin," Snape kissed the top of Harry's head. Harry's bottom beak dropped in disbelief, 'He kissed me! I didn't think the cold-hearted bastard was capable.'  
  
Dumbledore walked into the room with McGonagall in his wake. "How is he, Severus? Poppy told me Hagrid found young Malfoy beaten in the Forest."  
  
"He hasn't awaken yet." Snape's eyes remained focus on his charge's back.  
  
"Do we know who did this?" McGonagall asked.  
  
"No doubt Lucius Malfoy." Snape sighed.  
  
Harry spread his wings and bobbed his head up and down.  
  
"Have you eaten yet, Severus?" Dumbledore looked gravely over his half-moon glasses.  
  
"I couldn't eat right now. It wouldn't stay down."  
  
"Then take a nutrition potion from Poppy." Snape winced at the suggestion, but took the bottle he was handed, uncorked it and quaffed it quickly. Dumbledore nodded his satisfaction and turned to leave.  
  
Severus stood up quickly and almost unbalanced his familiar. "Headmaster, wait. May I speak to you privately?" They left McGonagall watching over the blonde Slytherin and walked to the farthest corner of the room to speak quietly in the corner.  
  
"I'm listening, Severus."  
  
"Last night, after our chat, I sent a note to Potter with a tracing charm."  
  
"What did you have to say to him?"  
  
"Something inconsequential, read chapter 36 or something. I gave it to Munin and told him to lose the note somewhere. You see, I had to make an attempt in case I was called on it."  
  
"I understand." Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"I was questioned under influence of Veritaserum this afternoon in Hogsmeade by known Death Eaters and they took the scrap of parchment from me before I was able to examine it."  
  
"What do you know of it?"  
  
"I'm not sure how or why, but Munin managed a successful delivery. Sir, you must move Potter. They're following the trace as we speak."  
  
Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at the shiny black bird and smiled. "Nothing to worry about, Severus. Harry is fine." He put his old pale hand on Severus's shoulder, a stark contrast on the potion master's black robes. "You're a good man, don't go doubting yourself. You can stop worrying about Mr. Potter."  
  
"Please understand, I didn't do it out of spite or with any intention to harm him," Snape spoke from behind a curtain of stringy black hair as he kept his head down.  
  
"I understand perfectly Severus. Harry's safety has not been compromised and you managed to stay in good standing with Voldemort."  
  
Snape winced at the spoken name and finally looked up into the headmaster's eyes. "Thank you, sir."  
  
As Harry witnessed the interaction, he thought, 'Wow, Dumbledore really trusts Snape. And despite what Dumbledore just said, Snape still feels really bad that he might have put me, err Harry Potter, in danger. He's very complicated, he seemed really irritated whenever Professor McGonagall brought up my name last night. I don't know what to make of it, now.'  
  
"Severus, may I borrow Munin for a bit?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Certainly, Headmaster." Snape allowed Munin to walk down his arm to the Headmaster's shoulder.  
  
Once they were alone in Dumbledore's office, "Harry, please show me what you did with the note. Legilimens."  
  
_To be continued..._

----- ooOoo -----  
  
A/N: Thank you for your wonderful reviews: Silverthreads, Kaaera, LyonsRoar, starangel2106, Voldemort's Hikari, Brakish Nghtmre, Toras, ataraxis, Prophetess Of Hearts, Persephone Lupin, texasjeanette, tall oaks, Mikee, Wren Truesong, Heart of the Wizard. I'm so happy when I hear I've made someone else happy.  
  
_LyonsRoar_ & _Toras_: I was going to save poopie for homework, but I decided last minute to move it here. Unfortunately, now he feels bad about getting even with Draco.  
  
_Persephone Lupin_: Ack! You know how I think already. This chapter was already written before I posted the last, with the exception of the bird attack.  
  
_Texasjeanette_: Your answer is in the next chapter (on the counter charm). It was Harry's original intent to get Dumbledore to remove the tracing charm when he flew straight to the headmaster's office.  
  
_Ataraxis_: Exactly! 


	6. Chapter 6

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: I posted the last chapter then went away for the weekend. I had a few regrets I couldn't stop thinking about. So, I made a couple of minor changes for clarity, which doesn't affect the story, just the way it's told. (1) I clarified Harry & Hedwig's arrival at the loch. No, the geese weren't in the trees (_thanks tall oaks_) and (2) When SS kissed Munin, he now says "good boy," ooo, a compliment! I didn't mean for Draco's beating to sound so bad. Harry's "bloody pulp" comment was his perception.

**Chapter 6** (uploaded 8/5/04) 

Shortly after the Death Eaters had been in Hogsmeade and on Hogwarts grounds, they were summoned by their dark master. "Wormtail, give me your arm," Voldemort hissed. Peter Pettigrew scuttled his way over to his master, turned his head away and stuck out his left arm so that Lord Voldemort could touch the mark with his wand. "Answer the door."

"Yes, my lord," Wormtail scuttled out of the room without looking up into the beady red eyes.

"Took you long enough," Avery shoved past when the door opened. "And what the hell is that yellow streak down your back, anyway."

"S-S-Sorry, sorry," Peter cowered, "he's waiting for you in the basement. Mustn't keep him waiting."

"Honestly, Wormtail, shave your head or something. Your hair is atrocious," Lucius wrinkled his nose.

Upon entering the room, the new arrivals bowed in subservience until they were recognized. "What information did he have for me?"

"Snape got nothing from Potter's Head of House or the Headmaster, Sir," Bellatrix reported from under her wide-brimmed hat.

"Severus would not dare fail me. Why didn't you bring him to me, then?" hissed the parseltongue.

"It wasn't necessary, my lord," Lucius answered. "Severus charmed a note and sent it to the boy. He was holding out so that he could follow the trace himself but we took the tracer scrap from him while he was still under the Veritaserum."

"I tried that trick," Voldemort's high pitched voice resounded off the stone walls, "The owl post came back undeliverable. Dumbledore placed an untraceable charm on Potter. Bella, take that stupid hat off, I want to see your eyes."

She pulled it off quickly and threw it toward the door. "As you wish."

Lucius looked up and said, "Well Severus managed a successful delivery to send the boy a reading assignment. We were following the trace when you summoned us. It started in the Headmaster's office. I had a look in the window, the track there was nearly a day old."

Voldemort nodded, "Bella, take Rudolphus, Rabastan, and Avery. Follow the trace as far as you can. It still might be a trick, so Lucius, I want you to take a couple people to Potter's family house. Whether he's there or not, Dumbledore is obligated to inform his guardians of the boy's whereabouts. Find out what they know."

"Yes, my lord," Lucius bowed, "where is the house, exactly?"

"Find out!" Voldemort hissed.

Having been quietly observing from the back of the room, Pettigrew squeaked, "My Lord, Severus and I have been there before."

"Good, take them both with you," the Dark Lord ordered Malfoy.

----- ooOoo -----

"Professor, why don't you take a break. Draco has taken a sleeping potion, he's going to be out a while longer." Madame Pomfrey said, "I'm sure your little bird is hungry." Harry looked up into the tired eyes of the potion master. Truthfully, Harry had been too busy to think about food.

"You are correct. Call me when Draco wakes. I need to have a word with him before he talks to anyone," Snape said somberly as he helped Munin into his pocket.

When Harry came back out into the light, they were back in Snape's chambers. He was placed on a comfortable towel nest on the work table while Snape mixed aviary formula. "I know you're not hungry either," Snape spoke softly to his familiar, "but Draco's fine. Lucius and I had our share of similar treatment from our own fathers. I'm sure he knew enough not to cry out, that's why it wasn't too harsh. Narcissa, that's Draco's mum, has done an amazing job at protecting her son from the worst of Lucius's wrath for more than 16 years."

"Not harsh?" Harry croaked, "It's so wrong."

Snape threw his head and hands up in the air, "Listen to me, I'm telling things to a bird that I wouldn't tell anyone else."

"I won't tell," Harry shook out his feathers.

"Open up now," Snape filled the dropper and squeezed it into the raven's throat. "One more ought to do it."

"Water," Harry coughed.

"Sorry, here you are," Snape held a different eye dropper with water. "It's sticky like peanut butter, isn't it? Hmm, I haven't had peanut butter in a long time. I was introduced to it when I was a student. Contrary to popular belief, I do have friends. I just don't want anyone to know who I care about so that nobody can get to me through them."

Harry opened his mouth for more formula and thought to himself. 'That makes sense but it's a sad way to live. I get lonely at the Dursleys during summer holidays. All I have to look forward to is seeing my friends again. It's what keeps me going when my so-called-family gives me their worst.'

Sparks dropped in his fireplace as someone attempted a fire call. "That might be Poppy. Incindio!"

CRACK! "Severus," Lucius's head said through the flames, "we have a job to do. Come to my house immediately." Harry buried himself under the towel he had been sitting on.

"Now? I was going to wash my hair tonight." Snape mocked. Harry cackled under the towel, 'Since when has he had a sense of humor?'

"That's very funny," Lucius snorted. "Can you step through?"

"No, the wards won't allow it. I'll have to walk outside the wards and apparate from there."

"Quick as you can then. Bring your mask." With another crack, the face was gone.

Snape took a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. Sticking his head into the fireplace, he called, "Albus Dumbledore."

"Severus, what can I do for you?"

"I have been summoned. Please get Professor Sinistra to watch Slytherin house for me."

"Do be careful, Severus."

"Always, Headmaster."

----- ooOoo -----

As soon as Snape's head left, there was another crack in Dumbledore's fireplace, signaling another fire call. "Albus, I'm glad I found you." Moody said with urgency.

"Hello Alastor! I do hope you have good news."

The retired auror said, "I do not. The Lestranges have been spotted by Muggles and wizards in the Scottish countryside. We have Aurors and Memory Modifiers following them. But they're following a strange pattern. It doesn't look like they're running, I think they're following something."

"Yes, they're looking for Harry Potter." Dumbledore nodded.

"Have you heard from the boy? I can go check on him, I don't mind." Moody's glass eye spun around in his head.

"Thank you, Alastor. Mr. Potter is quite safe where he is," Dumbledore replied.

"What about the Lestranges? Shall we confront them?" Moody asked.

"I assume you're talking about Bellatrix, Rudolphus, and Rabastan?" asked the head of the Order of the Phoenix.

"And Avery," Said the retired auror.

"No, for everyone's safety, let them follow the wild geese migratory patterns and leave the confrontation to Voldemort. As long as they aren't bothering the Muggles, stay on their trail a step or two behind and clean up after them."

Moody had a gravelly laugh, "Do you mean to say they're on a wild goose chase?"

"Exactly, my friend. Let's just leave them to it. Notify your auror friends in the Ministry and the rest of the order," Dumbledore said sadly. "We must be on alert tonight, Voldemort will be active tonight but we don't know where."

"I'll pass the word." Moody left with a sharp crack.

----- ooOoo -----

Leaving Harry sitting on the worktable to digest his food, Snape walked into another room and came back with a cloak bundled under his arm. Harry flew to his shoulder as soon as he came into view. "Take me," the raven squawked.

"No, Munin, stay here." Snape opened the bird door and said, "You can stay in the owlry or visit Fawkes. Go." Harry huffed as he exited, 'We'll just see about that.'

Harry flew out and took a perch on a tower roof. He watched as Snape ran into the Forbidden Forest. He followed silently and managed to grab onto the black robe just before he apparated. "Whoa!" Harry croaked when he fell to the ground at their destination.

"Stupid bird, I told you to stay at Hogwarts," Snape spat. Snape put on his cloak, picked Harry up and stuffed him into his pocket just before the door flew open.

"Took you long enough," Lucius snarled. Peter hid behind Lucius but he was easy enough to see with all the bright colors in his hair. 'Haha, what happened to Wormtail?' Snape pushed Munin's head back into the pocket.

"What's he doing here?" Snape made a sour face, to hide the smile and laughter that wanted to bust out of his heart.

"Disgusting isn't it?" Lucius said coolly. "Master made me bring him because he's been to Potter's house. That's why you're here, as well."

"We're going to Potter's house? Surely Dumbledore wouldn't be daft enough to put him under everybody's noses." Snape's eyebrows arched at the thought.

"The boy is safe at his family's house. It's the next logical place to hide him. If he's there we are to lure him out. If not, Hogwarts is required to inform parents and guardians if students are taken out of school. They should have been notified, so we'll question them."

"Speaking of notifying parents, Draco hasn't awaken yet."

"He took it well, you know. Without so much as a whimper and stood the whole time until that giant oaf came around. We had to cut our 'discussion' short. Hurry up and put on your hood and mask."

The three masked and hooded Death Eaters apparated directly into Number 4 Privet Drive. Snape, to the upstairs hallway, Lucius popped into the living room, and Pettigrew was in the kitchen. The three Dursleys screamed at the same time. Snape grabbed Petunia by the arm and lead her downstairs. He threw her onto the couch, next to where Malfoy had Vernon frozen in fear.

Dudley thought he could handle the short statured rat animagus and surprised him with a right uppercut to the chin, knocking him out. Dudley pulled the mask off and started laughing. He dragged the unconscious home invader into the living room, "Dad, this FREAK has hair like the rat I had...AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!" He fell over, stiff as a board when Snape hit him with 'Petrificus Totalus.'

"Dudley!!" Petunia tried to run to her son, but Malfoy pushed her back onto the couch.

"See here!" Vernon's face reddened, "What do you freaks want?"

Lucius bent over, his nose not an inch from Vernon's, "Where is Harry Potter?"

"How should we know? He doesn't live here." Vernon broke eye contact and looked worriedly at his son on the floor.

"See for yourself," Petunia nodded and pointed to the many pictures on the mantle, on the walls, and on the end tables. "We don't know where this Harry Potter is."

"You are his guardians," Snape drawled, "you would be notified if he was taken out of school."

"We got no such notification. No phone call, no post." Petunia scooted toward her husband. "Look around for yourself. It's just the three of us."

Lucius looked at every photo, he even poked a few with his wand to make the people in the picture move. He had a look of disgust when he looked at Dudley's baby picture, the one with a blue baby bonnet, and compared it to the mound of flesh on the floor. In his anger, he threw every picture and knick-knack to the floor and blew out the front windows of the house.

Snape looked upstairs and noisily vandalized every room by dumping out the drawers and blasting the mattresses and windows. He turned the closets inside-out. He vanished the shooting gallery and left over paint pellets, and the mattress that Harry slept on. Harry stuck his head out of the pocket and cringed, 'Why are you doing this? Hey, don't forget the cupboard under the stairs.' Snape pulled out the little raven and whispered, "Go to Arabella Figg's. Get help."

Harry flew as fast as he could to the next street over. He looked into the windows and saw three people having tea in the dining room. Since none of the windows were open, he squawked and rapped on the panes to get someone's attention. He certainly got the cats attention. MREOW! One of them leapt at the window. Harry flew up, hoping the window would break, but it only smashed its face on the glass, 'Stupid cat, now you look like Crookshanks!' "REMUS!" Harry squawked, "is that you? Can you hear me?"

Remus Lupin ran toward the window and opened it. Harry landed on his hand. "It's me, Harry!"

"Harry?" Lupin looked very tired and ragged. The previous night had been a full moon. Usually he wouldn't be out of his house for two days after a transformation, but everyone in the Order had been put on alert.

"Oh good, you can understand me. Can't explain. Death Eaters at the Dursleys!" Harry flew back out the window. As he left, he could hear Remus yelling, "Arabella, call Dumbledore at once. Death Eaters have attacked Harry's guardians. Dung, let's go!"

When the greasy-haired Death Eater came downstairs, he blasted his way through the kitchen and, finally, the cupboard under the stairs. Shooting water out of his wand, he kicked Wormtail in the ribs, "Get up, we're done here."

"I ask you one more time, where is Harry Potter?" Lucius snarled under his mask at the Muggles, then turned around and kicked in the television. "WHERE IS HE?"

"WE DON'T KNOW!!" Vernon and Petunia held each other. "ASK THE RED-HEADED FAMILY."

Hearing the cracks of apparation, Wormtail yelled. "Aurors! Let's go!" A black mass of feathers flew through the open window and attached himself to the back of the tallest Death Eater right before they disapparated.

_To be continued..._

----- ooOoo -----

A/N: Yay, I see some new names in addition to those of you who have been reviewing every chapter. Thank you wonderful people: ataraxis, Mikee, Svetlana Lvova, Zachiliam, Anna Taure, tall oaks, Wren Truesong, starangel2106, Silverthreads, Persephone Lupin, Werinaya, Heart of the Wizard, KC, Kaaera, Romm, LadyNiteRaven.

_Zachiliam_: No, Yes, and Thank you.

_Persephone Lupin_: I used to be a tennis fan. I wanted to name the goose after the Swede star, Bjorn, but before I posted I couldn't remember his name if my life depended on it. So I ended up naming him after the German star, Boris. The geese had to be from Iceland, though because in my very brief research, Greylag geese was the first type that I found which would spend their winters in various spots from SW Scotland to Wales and they're from Iceland. There's a strong Nordic and Russian influence in Iceland, isn't there? Ok, I'm just reaching now.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Since posting the last chapter I changed to a new job/new company which requires more brain power during the day. I had been writing to keep my brain cells from dying off at the old job. I am trying to get motivated to write in the evening, but it's been tough.

**Chapter 7** (uploaded 9/9/04)

Remus fire-called Dumbledore from Mrs. Figg's house. "Albus, there were three Death Eaters. I had a look around before Ministry officials got there. They completely trashed the house, but they left satisfied that the Dursleys knew nothing about Harry's whereabouts. Harry's relatives weren't physically harmed. But the Death Eaters left the Dark Mark over the neighborhood."

Dumbledore waved his wand and said, "Step through, Remus." As the former Hogwarts professor dusted himself off, he was asked, "Could any of them be identified?"

"Two of them kept their hoods and masks on the whole time. The one who was unconscious the whole time, punched out cold by Harry's cousin, was described as a nervous, mousey looking man with rainbow-colored hair and a bald patch. There was a neon yellow streak down his back, and ran under his cloak. They remembered a deep voice of the tall one with black eyes. The other one had gray eyes and a cold laugh."

"Did you witness the attack?"

"I'm afraid not. Arabella had called us in for tea. A little black raven came rapping on the window and told me the Dursleys were being attacked. He said his name was Harry. As soon as we apparated there, we heard them disapparate."

Albus made a short gasp and looked at his desktop gadget. Sure enough, Harry's dot and Severus's dot were laying at the bottom. "I assume the Ministry is restoring their house and wiping their memories of the event?"

"Well, they weren't going to because as Harry's guardians, they have been exposed to our world already. But they were hysterical. Moody showed up and ordered their memories erased of the evening's events. He can still swing some weight around, despite the fact that he's retired. The Ministry is setting everything straight in the house. The tall one with black eyes made a big mess and lots of noise upstairs. He broke glass and scorched the place, but nothing beyond magical repair, except for Harry's mattress and the door to Harry's room. He turned the door into a pile of toothpicks and the mattress...well, let's just say the mattress stuffing will be blowing around the neighborhood for the next year."

"Do what you can to restore Mr. Potter's room to your best memory. He needs to be able to return to the house next summer, for his protection."

"Not the bars on the window's, Albus. Not the locks on the doors."

"Yes, even the bars, even the locks. Trust me. As accurately as you can remember."

Remus nodded. "What about this bird, Harry? Where did he come from?" After a very long pause, "Albus?"

"What I'm about to tell you is extremely confidential, but I'm telling you this because you are the next closest parental figure that Mr. Potter has and respects. Harry Potter is the young raven as the result of a student prank. Somehow he came into Professor Snape's possession and is now bonded to Severus as his familiar, whom he is calling Munin. Because of this bond, Severus will do everything in his power to keep Harry safe. Unfortunately, Harry will attempt to do the same for Severus."

"What are you saying? My best mate's son is running around on Death Eater raids? Apparently you haven't informed the Dursley's of Harry's current situation."

"Well, he is in hiding," the old man's eyes twinkled. "And technically he is in the care of a qualified faculty member. I don't suppose you found anything out about their plans?"

"Don't change the subject!" Remus growled.

"Remus, please. You're quick to anger in your current state."

"I know, that's why I wasn't selected to be Harry's godfather or guardian," Lupin sighed. "Alastor was questioning them before their memories are erased. It sounded like they were directed toward the Weasley's. Who is this Death Eater with rainbow colored hair? Are they recruiting clowns now?"

"Hmm, I'll have to remember to ask Severus about that. Don't worry about the Weasley's. They are quite capable of taking care of themselves. After you restore Harry's bedroom, I want you to go home and rest. The full moon was only last night, so its influence on you is still very strong and you are very tired."

"Thank the stars, or I wouldn't have been able to understand Harry. No, I've got to go back on duty."

"Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore walked over to the lycanthrope and put his hand on Remus's shoulder, "if you refuse my order, I will be forced to put you into Madame Pomfrey's care. Do I make myself clear?"

Remus shuddered and answered, "Yes, sir." Lupin stepped back into the fireplace, threw down a handful of floo powder, and called, "Arabella Figg!"

-----ooOoo-----

"OW! Let go, stupid bird." Severus growled and shrugged off the claws digging into his back when he arrived at their pre-determined meeting place, before taking off his mask. Harry climbed into a pocket, just before two more cracks of apparition were heard.

Lucius laughed evilly, "You've stayed in good form, mate!" He took his mask off as he walked over and slapped the tall dark wizard on the back. "But YOU, idiot," he pointed at the rat animagus, "knocked unconscious by a child, a Muggle child, at that! How you ever graduated and qualified as a fully educated wizard is a mystery to me."

"Child? The kid is a mountain, he's been trained to fight with his hands!" Peter said defensively, as he clutched his own mask. Snape leaned back against another wall with gleaming eyes to watch Malfoy intimidate the little rat-fink.

Harry stayed quiet in his dark pocket to listen and to identify the feelings emanating from the bond. 'Humor, not the funny kind though, mischievous. I think that's it. Dark and vengeful mischief. This is scary territory.' Just as Harry thought 'scary,' Snape's hand snaked into the pocket to caress the black bird.

When Lucius finished berating Wormtail, he turned to Snape, whose burning black eyes were now unfathomable. He had calmed his feelings back to neutrality and stopped petting Munin, not wanting to go too far the other way. "What did you find in the house?"

"Nothing. I literally turned the place over. I found no evidence that Harry Potter had ever been in the house. Not now, not ever."

"You've been there before."

"It looked the same as the last time I was there. Potter wasn't there last time, either." Snape answered. "How about you, Wormtail, look the same to you?"

"Yes," Peter huffed and glared at Snape.

"That's odd," the tall blonde wizard paced. "Did you find his room? Where does he sleep? You found none of his possessions?"

"There was a shooting gallery in the smallest bedroom and the guest bedroom was overperfumed and decorated with frilly little flowers. I think Potter would rather sleep in the cupboard under the stairs than in that monstrosity." Snape smirked. 'That's true,' Harry thought.

Lucius ran his hand through his hair, "Nothing at all?"

"Not any more. I redecorated the house, blasted everything to bits."

Lucius's gray eyes were on fire. "Fine, then it's on to the Weasley's. Wormtail where is their little hovel?"

"Why should I tell you? I don't like the way you're treating me."

"Because," Malfoy walked slowly and ominously toward the silver-handed wizard, "I'll skin you alive for just for offending me and the wizarding race with your hair and skin colors. Have you at least taken a bath?"

"Of course! But it was a magical potion that got me this way, it's going to take a potion to fix it." Wormtail glared past Malfoy's shoulder at the potion master in the shadows with renewed intensity.

"We all know how good I am at skin and hair care, don't we," Snape bared his yellow teeth. 'Snape made him that way? Now that's funny!' Harry wanted to laugh, but Snape held his hand firmly over the lump in his pocket.

"We're wasting time. I will not report back to the Dark Lord empty-handed." Malfoy growled. "We all know what will happen if we fail."

"Fine, follow me." Pettigrew disapparated with a crack. Snape and Lucius pulled their hoods over their heads and put on their masks before following.

Harry's head popped out of the pocket when they reached the Weasley house, or rather where the house should have been. He had been apprehensive and was trying to think of how he could warn the family he thought of as his own. He got a kick out of what he saw. It was a swamp!

"I don't understand," Wormtail shook his head, "this is where it should be. They aren't the type to keep wards on their place other than the required anti-Muggle wards." He walked toward where the front door should have been. Suddenly an alligator came out of the water and chased him back a dozen feet. It snapped and roared before backing into the swamp to join a curiously identical alligator. Snape felt Harry's mirth and smiled under his mask as they both remembered the end of the last school year when the Weasley twins first demonstrated their portable swamp at Hogwarts.

Lucius grabbed Wormtail by the collar, "What are you playing at?"

"I lived here for 12 years," Wormtail gasped for air. "This is where the Burrow was."

Snape peered into the trees, "We can't stay too long. Obviously, they were expecting us." As he said that, green bolts of light shot at them from all directions. Malfoy and Snape took refuge behind a tree stump, sending their own spells back. Meanwhile, Wormtail transformed into a rat and ran toward the trees.

"Wormtail, get back here!" Malfoy ordered.

"What's that?" Snape pointed to a hazy field above them.

"Argh, anti-apparition ward. I just tried," Malfoy said, as he dug into his pockets.

Snape pulled Harry out of his own pocket, "Munin, fetch the rat. Bring him to me." Harry flew hard and fast, diving quickly and digging his talons into Wormtail's neck and haunches. Wormtail squealed as he struggled against the black bird, "OW! OW! Let me go!" Harry, being a young raven, was actually almost the same size as the fat rat, but he was a very strong flyer and determined not to let go of the traitor whom he partially blamed for the death of his parents. Harry understood the rat animagus, but was determined not to reveal himself. He pecked at the rat's head and nipped his ears a couple times as he flew back to Severus Snape.

As the two death eaters leaned back on the tree stump, Snape grabbed the bird and the rat. "Ah hah! Portkey!" Lucius grabbed Snape's elbow and held the charmed pendant to the back of Snape's hand that held the rat. When the world around them stopped spinning, they were dumped at the feet of Lord Voldemort in a dark, damp cellar. Wormtail returned to his wizarding form as Harry fluttered to land on Snape's hand. He was grabbed and stuffed into blackness, which was just fine by him. Harry wanted as little exposure to Voldemort as possible.

"What have you to report?" Voldemort hissed. The three death eaters groveled at his feet and kissed the hem of his robes. Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake, wrapped himself around Wormtail's waist. Malfoy and Snape threw themselves backwards and knelt before their dark master.

"I'm sorry, my lord," Malfoy kept his focus on the floor, "the Muggles know nothing. They believe Potter is still at the school."

Snape added, "Sir, I turned the place over and found no evidence that Harry Potter had been there. They lead us to believe the Weasleys might know something, but we were ambushed at the Burrow."

"What do you have to say, Wormtail?" Voldemort was but a few inches from his face.

"Air," Peter gasped, "please, can't breathe." Nagini loosened up a little. "I'm sorry, my lord, I saw nothing."

"Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!"

Harry thought his head was going to explode as Snape suffered under the Cruciatus curse. A combination of his link with Voldemort feeling angry, and his bond with the Death Eater under his curse, he imagined. He was surprised that Wormtail's was the only screaming he heard under the torture. Snape tensed and bucked on the ground, yet he suffered silently until the curse was finally lifted and still managed to keep his wits about him, enough not to crush the bird in his pocket, at any rate. It seemed like an eternity before Snape was left panting on the floor. Harry ventured out of the pocket when it remained quiet for a long time. He climbed out of the pocket and put his throbbing head down on Snape's heaving chest. "Shhh," the dark wizard cautioned his pet.

"What have you there, Severus?" Lucius gasped.

"This is Munin. A baby raven, given to me by my godson." Snape scooted on his back about a foot so that he could rest his head on the stone wall. Somewhere in the darkness, Wormtail could be heard whimpering.

"Draco?" Lucius snorted, "Sentimental fool, he's too much like his mother to ever be good at the dark arts."

"Maybe it was a bribe," Snape said softly and stared straight back at Lucius.

"Hmmm." Malfoy rolled over to his hands and knees and struggled to stand. As Snape attempted the same, Harry fluttered up to Severus's shoulders. "Let's get out of here."

It was early Sunday morning, the dawn was starting to break as Severus stumbled into the castle. He supported himself against the walls and shuffled his feet as he made his way to the infirmary. Harry flew on ahead and woke Madam Pomfrey. The potions professor went straight to the potion stores and was helping himself when Madam Pomfrey arrived in her dressing gown. "Something for your headache, Munin?" Snape dipped his finger into his own goblet and offered a couple drops to his raven. Harry involuntarily trilled as relief washed through his head, earning a smile from the sallow-skinned wizard.

The mediwitch supported Snape by his arm and lead him to a bed at the end of the room and drew the curtains around him. 'What, no argument? Nobody said anything.' Harry thought. 'Looks like a routine.' Harry watched sleep claim the double agent quickly before he realized that he had been up all night, too. He flew out the window and straight to the owlry.

_To be continued...soon!_

----- ooOoo -----

A/N: Thank you for staying with the story while I get my busier life sorted out. Your reviews keep me focused on the story. Thanks for your reviews: Ms. Padfoot, Heart of the Wizard, starangel2106, atraxis, w´erinaya, kaaera, Anna Taure, texasjeanette, Romm, Persephone Lupin, Wren Truesong, Rory, Lucky (x2), Toras.

_Ms. Padfoot_: I wondered if you had been reading. Welcome back.

_Persephone Lupin_: Sorry, no more Boris, it was a cameo appearance.

_Wren Truesong_: Right you are! But, from my own parrot-pet experience, you shouldn't feed chocolate to birds and avoid raw almonds. They have a chemical that can be toxic to little birdie bodies. I had to be careful my too-smart-for his-own-good bird didn't steal my chocolate almond candy bars.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Chapter 8** (uploaded 9/13/04)

Harry awoke mid-morning under Hedwig's wing again. "Good morning, love. Have some breakfast." Hedwig nudged the sleepy black raven toward bowls of fruit, seeds, and water. The Weasley owls, Errol and Pig, listened intently as Harry relayed the events of the previous night. He had barely finished telling his tales when they flew off to find Ron and Ginny to pester them into writing their family.

After eating, Harry flew back to the hospital wing and landed in the window. Draco was feeling well, but for some reason, Madam Pomfrey would allow him no visitors, saying only that Professor Snape wanted to talk to him first. He feigned sleep when he spotted Harry come in through the window and started removing the pillow case from his own pillow as soon as the raven hopped down to the bed. Harry peered down from the top of the curtains around Professor Snape, then landed at his feet to crawl up to his chest. Harry craned his neck to get a better look at the potion professor's eyes. WHOOSH! He found himself inside Malfoy's pillow case.

'Damn! I didn't think he'd try anything while I was on top of Snape,' Harry cried. RAWK! RAWK! AAAAWWWWWRRRRKKK!

"What are you doing, Draco?" Snape asked. Even from inside the pillow case, Harry could tell there was a dangerous tone to his voice.

"I didn't want him to fly away again," Draco said stressfully. "Why are you in here, anyway?"

"I had a rough night." Suddenly, Harry was upside down and being shaken before he was dumped onto the soft bed. AAAACCCCKKK!! Harry spread his wings and charged at the blond Slytherin. He was grabbed mid-air and found himself in one of Snape's big hands, held against the potion master's chest. "Leave him alone. Anyway, he'll come back to me when I want."

"Pomfrey said I couldn't have visitors until you talk to me." Draco dumped himself in the chair beside Snape's hospital bed.

"It's Madam Pomfrey, to you. And she is correct." Snape pushed himself to sit up. Harry could see and feel that Snape really wasn't ready for this.

"I'm well enough to go back to my room," Draco almost demanded.

"I am not, you will have to wait." Snape said flatly.

"Why can't I have visitors, then?"

Snape closed his eyes and leaned back on his pillows. "Fine. You need to hear this first."

"I'm listening, sir."

"First, you cannot tell anyone what really happened to put you into Hospital. Your father was never here, understand? Make sure Crabbe and Goyle have the same understanding."

"Yes, sir."

"You did well not to cry out, but at the moment you're being a spoiled brat." Draco's eyes narrowed at Snape's words but he remained silent. "Your father will be expecting more from you from here on. If you disappoint him, he will not be lenient on you." Draco took a big gulp but remained steely-eyed. "I would like to review a few potions and spells that could be prove useful to you in the near future. I will have you do it under duress, as the conditions that you might have to brew them in might be similar. Your first lesson is this afternoon."

"But I'm not even out of here yet!"

"My classroom 1 o'clock. You know which students are children of Death Eaters, they were your play dates when you were little. Be sure they are in attendance, as well."

"That only leaves enough time to change and have lunch."

"Enough," Snape growled. "Lastly, I think you owe Munin, here, some gratitude."

"No! Come on!"

"Draco! I'm speaking." Malfoy grit his teeth. "Munin was responsible for getting help to you in the forest. Your father intended to continue the beating but was interrupted to avoid discovery. As you know from the pain and the blood, it was quite bad. Your body had gone into shock. Now, get out." Draco didn't have to be told twice. He changed into his school robes and collected his things, practically running out the door.

Harry wriggled to get out of Snape's grasp but found that Severus had slid down and fallen asleep with his heavy hand resting on top of his feathery back. Resigned, Harry laid his head down on Snape's chest and closed his eyes.

"Headmaster?" Harry opened his eyes when he heard the deep baritone voice.

"Good day, Severus." Albus Dumbledore was seated in the chair next to the bed and had taken off his hat. "I hope you're feeling better."

"I am, thank you." Snape still hadn't realized Harry's presence so the baby raven whimpered for his release. "Oh, sorry Munin," Snape lifted his hand immediately so that Harry could hop to Dumbledore.

"Voldemort's sending his Death Eaters to terrorize Muggles again."

"No, Death Eaters are terrorizing Muggles for their own target practice or entertainment. Their task is to find Harry Potter."

"Does he intend to kill Mr. Potter or use him for another purpose?" Dumbledore asked quietly. 'Yeah, what does he think I am, a potions ingredient?' the little bird shuddered as memories of Voldemort's rebirth came to mind. 'Right, never mind.'

"That hasn't been revealed to me. But I must compliment you on your ability to keep secrets. I thought you were a fool to let the world know that the Potter boy had been removed from the school. I only hope you tell me some day how you did it."

"Thank you, Severus. You will find out soon enough, I'm sure." Dumbledore took Harry in his hand and held him up to eye level, "It's not often Professor Snape gives praise, so it must be very special." Harry bobbed his head up and down in agreement. "The ministry has seen fit to restore the Dursley's residence and obliviate their memories of last night's events."

"Who?" Snape was distracted by the lunch tray Madam Pomfrey quietly placed on his lap. Snape's hand went straight for the sky blue potion and swallowed it all in two gulps.

"Harry Potter's relations."

"Mmm," Severus nodded.

"Harry will be able to return next summer for his holidays," Dumbledore stroked the bird when it seemingly sighed. Severus only shrugged as he suddenly found his appetite. "I do need to ask you about the clown that has joined the Death Eater ranks."

Severus snorted and pulled away the pumpkin juice that he was about to bring to his lips. "Which clown would that be?"

"The Death Eater with colorful hair and skin. The one that had been knocked out cold by Mr. Potter's cousin." Dumbledore tugged on his beard while Harry cackled.

"Pettigrew must have had an unfortunate encounter with a mad interior decorator. I suppose the paint bucket he fell into might have had magical properties. If you will excuse me, Headmaster, I have a potions lesson to prepare."

"Interesting." Dumbledore smiled genially. "Nonsense, Severus. You have the whole day to recover."

"Sir, with the Dark Lord's activities on the rise, he will soon be looking to add to his ranks. I must prepare the most likely recruits for their survival. Since Potter, the wizarding hero, isn't here for his occlumency or potions lessons, I can use the time for an afternoon lesson on the potions most helpful in recovering from physical beatings."

Harry looked between the two professors. 'Can I come to the junior Death Eater lessons, too?'

----- ooOoo -----

Draco and his gang waited in the hallway in front of the door to the potions classroom. Snape walked past, "Follow me." Harry, riding on Snape's shoulder turned around to face Malfoy and return his glare.

Snape lead them to a dark, windowless dungeon, already set up with benches and cauldrons. "Quickly, everyone find a cauldron. Quite a range of talent we have here. Everyone from third year to seventh. I expect each one of you to work on your own potion. I am doing this for your own survival. Today we will be covering a few potions that you might need if you were ever physically beaten. The various potions will aid your recovery. On the first black board is the procedure for preparing murtlap to heal minor cuts and superficial wounds. You have a half hour to complete it." As the Slytherin students went to work, Harry instantly recognized the result as what Hermione had given him to soak his hand after detentions with Umbridge, Harry's fifth year DADA teacher.

Snape walked out of the room, leaving his bird perched on the highest bookshelves to supervise. "Call out if anyone stops working," were his last words to Munin before leaving. By the time he returned, all the sands in the hourglass had reached bottom. He inspected everyone's cauldron and made comments. It was hard to mess up that potion, even Crabbe and Goyle did well.

"Follow me," was all the potion master said. Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. Harry landed on Snape's shoulder as he opened a door to another dungeon. "Everyone in." Once the last Slytherin filed in, the door closed, leaving Snape and his bird in the hallway to peer into the little window in the door. The little peep window had its own door and bars. Snape closed it before the excitement started.

"He locked us in. Why'd he lock us in here?" a fourth year student who had been shaking the door from the doorknob asked, as he joined the group surrounding the wooden box in the center of the room. The box shook, wiggled and jumped on its own accord. Whatever was in there, wanted out desperately.

Pansy reached toward the lock but stopped when Draco yelled, "Don't open it! Whatever it is won't be pleasant."

"It's just a Quidditch set," Goyle declared.

Zambini looked at it suspiciously, "but only the snitch moves on its own. I don't think the little snitch is moving the box like that." The movements got more violent as they watched.

Nott stepped behind Goyle to keep someone big between himself and the box, "it looks like it will explode."

Millicent Bullstrode shoved the smaller Pansy Parkinson out of the way, "Well, I, for one, am not going to wait for an explosion." No sooner had she unlatched the lock, the top cover flew open to allow all the balls and four bludger bats to come flying out of the box. As soon as the game equipment were freed, they started flying around the room and playing with themselves without any regard to anyone else also in the room. Balls flew everywhere, bouncing off anyone or any thing that got in its way. Bludger bats aimed themselves at anyone and anything they could reach. Students went screaming and diving for cover, tripping over each other, but there was nowhere to hide. Nott had taken to pounding on the door and screaming for his for his release. Snape calmly walked back to the windowless classroom and sat behind the desk. "You're a bastard," Harry coo'd.

After a few more minutes, the door sprang open and the angry, screaming kids ran into the classroom to confront their professor. Snape returned a bored yawn, "Rough game, Quidditch." When he stood up, it got quiet. "Back to your cauldrons. Now! Anyone who is bleeding, apply your murtlap solution to your wounds first, then focus your attention on this recipe." Snape pointed at the second blackboard with his wand and the words appeared. "This will take care of the swelling and associated pain. The sooner you finish, the sooner you find relief for your bruises and contusions. Do not apply this potion to your bumps until I have come around and approved it. Raise your hand when you're ready for inspection." Harry's jaw dropped as he realized the purpose of today's lesson. He picked out the third year student who seemed to be struggling and on the verge of tears from his frustration and pain. Harry flew to his bench. The raven made comments, in his own way, to keep the kid on the right track. His brew turned out as well as Draco's.

Theodore Nott raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Nott," Snape queried.

"Sir, are we going to cover headache draught today? I took a bludger bat to the back of my head."

"Anyone else?" A few more hands went up, they were sixth and seventh years. "You six come up here and take another cauldron. You will work two potions at the same time."

Snape stalked to Draco's table, "Would you like to attempt simultaneous potions?" Draco looked up at the third recipe and nodded. Snape put another cauldron on the bench.

Everyone finished about the same time. Snape announced, "Those of you who have managed a successful brew, package your potions and keep a small supply in your trunks. Clean up your areas before you leave and you can go. I strongly recommend you all learn to brew these potions in your sleep. But I sincerely hope you learned more than potions from today's lesson."

Nott grumbled under his breath, "Note to self: Don't play Quidditch in a locked dungeon."

The Potions Master supervised from his desk until everyone had finished. Harry was surprised that every student thanked him as they left. 'They were actually grateful for the lesson,' Harry mused. 'I am too, but I didn't get locked in a room with rogue Quidditch gear.'

----- ooOoo -----

After supper, the greasy-haired wizard took his raven for a walk around the lake. Snape stopped and sat on a rock to watch the sunset. He called Munin out of the trees, "You did well on your potion today. I know it was you, that recipe was far too advanced for that third year. But I don't know how you managed that, either. Look what I have for you, Munin" Harry followed the hand that reached into his robe pocket.

"A present for me?" Harry coo'd. Snape could feel his pet's excitement at the prospect of getting a present. "What is it?"

"It's a stuffed toy, a Golden Snidget," his thin lips curled into a smile. The golden yellow body was the size of a walnut, with stuffed golden wings. It had a little golden yellow head with little red jewel-like eyes. "The real thing is an endangered species, that's why we use mechanical snitches in Quidditch."

'I read that, it's in Quidditch Through the Ages,' Harry thought. "What's it do?" Harry couldn't remember ever having a stuffed toy, Muggle or magical. Harry pecked at the toy's head, grabbed it by the neck and started shaking it around. He looked up when Snape started laughing. "You should laugh more," Harry croaked, "you're certainly not the mean bastard you pretend to be."

When Harry's jaw dropped at the laughter, the snidget fell and rolled off the potion master's lap. Snape picked it up and threw it over the lake. Harry flew after it and caught it in his talons in mid air. He dropped the toy on the grass in front of the Slytherin Head and proceeded to pounce, let it roll away, pounce again until he got another laugh from the man who was once his most hated professor. "Accio snidget," Snape summoned the toy, only to throw it into the setting sun again. Harry repeated his catch, drop and pounce entertainment until it got too dark to see. He rode into the castle in Snape's pocket with his head resting on golden yellow toy.

----- ooOoo -----

That night, Harry found Hermione in Gryffindor common room studying. She was reading the potions assignment to herself when he landed on her desk. "Hi, Harry." Harry waddled across the table and turned back a couple pages of the textbook and croaked, "Read it to me, please."

Hermione stood her book up and whispered, "Ron and Ginny went home. Their family was attacked by Death Eaters this weekend and my parents wrote to tell me the Dark Mark was spotted over Surrey this weekend. Muggle police are playing it off as somebody's Halloween commercial promotion. Ginny wrote back that nobody was hurt, but the..." Harry coo'd, "I know, I was there!" Hermione stopped when the green-eyed raven bobbed his head, "You know? Oh, I wish I could have gone with them but then I might miss this week's DADA test. The new professor's covering a lot of material very quickly, but you won't any trouble catching up." Harry tapped the potions book a couple more times and looked back into her eyes.

"Do you want me to read the assignment to you?" Hermione smiled. Harry bobbed his head, "Please?"

"Hey, Parvati," she called across the room. "When I'm done reading Potions to Harry, would you read your Divination's assignment to him?"

"Sure! Lavender and I can take turns."

"I'm afraid that's all we have time for tonight, Harry," the bushy-haired witch said to the raven. He nodded in agreement.

_To be continued..._

----- ooOoo -----

A/N: I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. Great big hugs and thanks to starangel2106, Silverthreads, tall oaks, Mirriam Q Webster, Heart of the Wizard, Ms. Padfoot, ataraxis, elrohir lover, Athena Keating-Thomas, Romm, chickens, Prophetess of Hearts, Persephone Lupin, doublestar, Wren Truesong.

_Starangel2106_: I baked a brownie for you because your review came in within a few minutes of putting up the chapter. So where is it, you ask? I put it on a rack to cool and it disappeared. A werewolf might have been spotted in the vicinity.

_Silverthreads_: Yes they are. My parrot learned to say 'Up' when he wanted to be picked up. It was originally **my command** for him to step up to my hand.

_Mirriam Q Webster_: Don't worry, I will continue updating until my posted stories are completed.

_Ms. Padfoot_: I know what you mean. That little review button doesn't work for me either on my home computer. I think it has something to do with the software that kills pop-up windows.

_Romm_ & _Prophetess of Hearts_: You'll have your answer soon enough, maybe the next chapter.

_Wren Truesong_: I loved your long review. I like the thought of Harry being Hedwig's little owlet.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Chapter 9** (uploaded 10/6/04)

Monday morning during breakfast, the owls came flying into the Great Hall. Severus Snape was having an animated discussion with Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress when a standard post owl landed on the table in front of him. "Please excuse me, Minerva." He turned to read the letter at the table, his back to the rest of the faculty.

_SS,_

_Please accept my apology for challenging you to duel last summer, but you must admit, it was a fair fight. I'm sorry if your transformation experience might have been unpleasant. I'm glad you were able find a way to return to your preferred state of greasiness. I beg for your mercy and ask you to help me return to a less colorful condition. Please provide the potion I need as soon as possible._

_W_

Snape snorted and said to himself, "I don't think so, rat."

Not a minute later, a second owl landed in front of him. Its letter read: _Severus, I will send someone for you tonight at 9 o'clock. Bring Wormtail's potion. V._ Nagini's fang imprint marked the bottom of the note. Snape grimaced and swore something colorful under his breath.

"I'm sorry, Severus. Did you say something?" Dumbledore inquired.

Within two steps, the long legged professor was kneeling between the headmaster and his deputy headmistress. "I have been summoned." He held out Voldemort's note to show the fang marks, before stuffing it into an inner robe pocket.

"Now? By owl? That's very unusual, isn't it?" Dumbledore's white eyebrows arched.

"They're coming for me this evening. He wants an antidote from me. I don't have a good feeling about this meeting. I need to speak with you later."

"Later then," the Headmaster nodded.

After his morning classes, the ill-tempered professor was found pacing in front of Dumbledore's desk while Fawkes' and Harry's head followed left and right, as if watching a tennis match from the phoenix's perch. "Don't go, Severus," Dumbledore stared past his fingertips, tented in front of his face.

"I must. The repercussions would be much worse if I choose to ignore this particular summons. Besides, he's sending an escort."

"After our brief chat, I was given more information. The Muggle attacks around the country seems to have been limited to the weekend."

"I read the paper this morning. Seems random to me, from Southwest Scotland, through Wales, down to the shores of South England."

"Mad-Eye was following the Lestranges. I'm afraid the tracer scrap led them to wild geese. I can't imagine that Voldemort or his associates would be very happy right now. As you inferred yourself, the Muggle attacks happened to be incidental to their mission and nothing more than a vent for Death Eater frustrations."

"Geese?" What little color that had been in Snape's face was completely drained. "I am a dead wizard. Haven't I always said that the Potter boy would be the death of me?" He turned about on his heel and stepped in front of ex-Auror Moody, "Argh! Where the hell did you come from?"

"I always said the best Death Eater is a dead Death Eater," Moody either growled or chuckled, it was hard to tell. Harry started to cackle at the remark but was nudged into silence by Fawkes. "I've been here all along, by the way." He held up his old invisibility cloak.

"Sorry, Moody, it seems the Dark Lord, the Lestranges, and anyone else on the weekend Harry Potter hunt is going to get a piece of me tonight. I don't think there will be anything left for you when they're done. Pity, isn't it?" Snape's return to sarcasm signaled his recovery from near-panic. "Excuse me, I have potions to brew during before my next class." He turned to Dumbledore and nodded, "Headmaster."

Snape worked quietly in the dim, windowless room as Harry looked on from a perch set up on the bench and squawked at the new arrival. "What is it, Draco?" Snape drawled. "I'm very busy."

"If you have time now, Professor, I'd like to brew that antidote for last week's potion," Draco held out a parchment with a recipe written neatly on it. "It won't take but three quarter-hour to complete, I estimate."

"Weren't your little friends involved in this, as well?" Snape briefly glanced at the recipe in the Slytherin Prefect's hand, but didn't take it. His mind was focused on the antidote for Wormtail.

"I have free time right now, they don't."

"Very well. Work over there," Snape pointed to the bench next to his.

Forty-five minutes later, Snape's potion was bottled and he had his area cleaned. Draco was corking vials on his potion samples. "Draco, I have to go. I trust you will clean up after yourself. Please lock the door on your way out." The professor took the array of tiny vials from him. "We'll check this later. I'll keep it safe."

"Yes, sir." Draco eyed the little raven who remained on his perch and ran to the door to watch Snape until he was out of sight. Harry wouldn't take his eyes off of Malfoy, either.

Once he knew they were alone, Malfoy pulled a vial from his sleeve. "This is yours, Potter. Take it to your room and drink it there. I don't want to be responsible if the student body were to die of laughter from watching you run naked through the Great Hall. We're even then, for helping me in the forest." Harry croaked and bobbed his head.

Harry reached out to grab the vial, but then Draco pulled back. "You also agree not to tell on me, right?" Harry growled, ARRRR. Draco furled his brows, "What are you saying? Just nod or shake your head, bird brain." What choice did he have? Harry bobbed his head again. Once the vial was clutched firmly in his talons, he flew out the door and straight to Gryffindor tower.

From outside, Harry was able to fly into an open window in the Gryffindor common room and, fly from there, up to his dorm room without anyone's notice. He was just about to pull off the stopper when very strong feelings of panic, despair, and fear emanated from his bond. He pushed the vial under his pillow and worked one of the windows open. Using the bond, he followed the feelings the potion master's chambers.

Harry dropped through the bird window and landed on the work table, but he didn't see the professor anywhere in the main room. There were three exits, one to a bathroom and another to the outside hallway. Harry hopped to the third and waddled slowly down the hallway. The first room he came to was as dark as the rest, but he could see it was a bed chamber as his eyes dilated. He continued down the hall, finding two other rooms and a bathroom. Harry turned around and croaked, "Professor Snape, where are you?"

"Munin, is that you?" called the dark, velvety voice in the darkness. Harry followed the sound slowly. "Come boy, I have your snidget." Harry hopped more quickly once he saw the light of the candles. Snape was slumped against the wall, inside an empty closet. Harry climbed the wizard's black robes to stand on his chest and look up at his face. Snape placed the toy snidget down in front of his familiar. Balanced on one leg on the wizard's arm, the raven held the snidget in his other talon and preened the three strands of yarn on top of the toy's little head.

Harry coo'd just to start a conversation. He knew that he really wasn't understood, but he found it comforting over the summer to talk to his pets. When Harry was isolated in his room at the Dursley's he talked to Hedwig and the raven who turned out to be Severus Snape, himself. They seemed to talk back and somehow he had found it comforting, so Harry would vocalize whatever was on his mind. It was kind of nice not to have to worry the consequences of real words.

"I'm glad you're here. I was feeling a bit...hopeless." Snape ran his hand over the raven's head, back and wings. "As hopeless as ever getting these feathers on top of your head to lay down, eh?" Harry bounced on the black chest as Snape chuckled to himself. "Well, if anything, you're no longer the underfed little bird you were a week ago. If I die tonight, I think I'd like to come back as a raven. What do you think, little one? You could be my big brother and we could play with your snidget. You would share with me, wouldn't you?"

Harry looked up and bit the wing of the toy and shook it with his head. "Share with me," Snape teased and pulled on the other wing for a little tug-o-war. He pulled the little raven across his stomach and moved the toy back and forth, but the bird would not let go his toy. "Okay," Snape laughed, "you win."

Harry dropped the golden toy and nudged it with his beak toward Snape's own beak-like nose. Snape laughed again and pushed himself up to sit cross-legged on the stony floor. Snape waved his wand in the air to light the sconces on the wall to reveal an empty, thickly carpeted room. Snape's old robes hung curiously from the walls, tattered, scorched, and splotched with potions explosions and boil overs.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" The stuffed golden snidget levitated off of Snape's lap, into the air. From there, it levitated from one side of the room to the other, following the wizard's wand. Harry watched from Snape's lap for about two rounds around the room before he flew off after his toy. Upon retrieving it, he landed on the soft carpet and proceeded to peck at its head. "Accio snidget." The stuffed snidget was summoned from the raven when it lifted its head at the sound of the wizard's voice.

'That was neat magic,' Harry thought, 'really good wand control.' The raven dropped the toy in front of the wizard, turned his head to the side and croaked, "Do that again!" Harry observed the wand waving as Snape made the snidget fly in figure-eights. He continued to fetch so that he could learn more about this advanced version of the first charm they learned at Hogwarts.

Snape finally got up off the floor. "Sorry, Munin. I've got another class to teach this afternoon. I'll see you later." As he entered his potions classroom, Harry flew off his shoulder and went on to his next class.

-----ooOoo-----

After class, Harry returned to his bed through the window he had wedged open earlier. He popped the cork and gurgled down the antidote. Feeling sleepy, he wormed his way between the sheets. Ron woke him up before dinner.

"Harry! You're back! Mate, I've got so much to tell you. Get up, why are you sleeping in the middle of the day, anyway? While you get dressed, I'll talk. Yesterday, Pig and Errol kept pestering me and Ginny. Dunno how they knew, but just to get rid of them, we wrote letters to Mum and Dad, Fred and Gorge, 'cause they're most likely to talk. They wrote back, even got one back from Bill and said the Burrow had been attacked by Death Eaters. To make a long story short, Dumbledore let me and Ginny go home yesterday. Boy, we were as glad to see them as they were to see us. The twins made a giant version of a portable swamp! It was great! They've been working on alligator biscuits and tested it on themselves. Fred says he got a nip at one of the little Death Eaters. Unfortunately it was still a prototype and they're still stuck with their tails. Mum's upset that they're tracking mud into the house because their tails drag, but the gnome infestation is totally gone. Anyway business is good and they sent along a bunch of gifts for you. Dad sent a box of bird seed. What's that about?"

Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes and shrugged while Ron chattered on. He pulled on a bath robe and grabbed his bathroom kit. His mouth felt like it was full of feathers and motioned at Ron to follow and keep talking while he brushed his teeth. As he put on his socks, he noticed the bonding ring on his second toe and tried unsuccessfully to pull it off. His head ached and he rubbed at the scar on his forehead. "Ow! He's upset."

"Your scar? Tell Dumbledore."

"I will. After dinner, I'm starving, how about you?"

"Absolutely! You gotta tell me all about, you know, how you were hiding. What was it like, Snape and the Slytherins? Hermione and I watched you and Snape move around on the Marauder's Map. That's how we found out it was you, but Dumbledore made us promise not to tell."

"Okay, I'll tell you tonight, though. We can't let it get around the school. They still think it was a joke for everyone to call Snape's bird Harry." Harry stuffed some of the Weasley Wheezes into his pockets as he spoke.

"Cool." The boys ran down the stairs and out the portrait of the Fat Lady."

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Never mind. Does Professor Dumbledore know? Come with me to the Headmaster's office. You too, Mr. Weasley." As they walked quickly, Ron kept looking around for someone to pass a message to Hermione, but he didn't see anyone.

The headmaster's office was empty, except for Fawkes. "You boys wait here while I get the Headmaster." McGonagall ordered. When she left, the phoenix flew to Harry's lap and accepted his affections.

"Oh, don't worry, Ron. I'm sure we're not in trouble. I just think they weren't expecting to see me so soon." Harry smiled to assure his freckled friend.

"You're very right, Harry." Ron and Harry practically jumped out of their skins on hearing Dumbledore's voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I'm not going to ruin your suppers by offering you a lemon drop. Dumbledore walked in front of them and leaned on the edge of his desk. "Please excuse us, Fawkes." The phoenix trilled and flew back to his perch.

"Has anyone else seen you, Harry?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. Ron answered for him, "Nobody, sir. And I was looking around."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I'm afraid we're not ready for your return to Hogwarts, Harry. I know you miss your mates," Dumbledore sympathized with the young man, "but I thought you were getting on well with your ...chaperone?"

"He's okay, but people are getting hurt on my account. My scar is hurting, and Professor Snape—"Harry stopped at Dumbledore's interruption.

"Mr. Weasley, you may go on to dinner. But this is our secret, Harry is still in hiding for everyone's safety."

"Yes, sir. See ya, Harry, "Ron shook Harry's hand as he left the office. "Don't worry about the family, everyone's holding their own."

Conversation continued for another quarter hour until Filch's face popped into the fireplace, "Professor, I need your help in the second floor girls bathroom. Someone has flushed a whole box of fireworks down all the toilets. Professor Flitwick has tried to help, but it's the kind which multiply when you use the vanish spell." Harry snorted out of sight of the fireplace., knowing only Ron and Ginny had a fresh supply of Weasley Wheezes.

"Excuse me, Harry." Dumbledore looked suspiciously at Harry and shook his head. As soon as he was out the door, Harry slumped in his seat. He thought he might be paranoid, but he could have sworn he heard feet shuffling and hissing. "Shhh!"

"Hello? Who's there?" Harry drew his wand and pointed it toward the door.

"Don't! It's just us!" Ron shrugged off the invisibility cloak holding two trays of food. "You look like you need some cheering up."

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Hermione set down her trays as Ron took the cloak off of her and setting it next to the raven-haired teen. "Hi Harry," she hugged him and his face instantly brightened. "But I'm willing to do the detention for this."

As Harry helped himself to the food, "I don't think you'll get detention for visiting me, but whoever flushed the Wild-Fire Whiz Bangs down the toilet is in big trouble."

"I only did one of those twirly things," Hermione said, as a matter of factly, "Moaning Myrtle is doing the rest herself."

"I'll have to remember to visit her as soon as I come back," Harry chuckled and enjoyed the moment of camaraderie. He went on to tell them about the night he followed Snape the Death Eater.

"Wicked!" Ron exclaimed, "so you got to see the Burrow turned into a swamp."

"Yeh, and the alligators, too. At the time I wasn't sure it was the twins, but they had a familiar grin."

"Harry," Hermione scolded, "now you're exaggerating."

"No I'm not, look at Ron, you can see the resemblance!" Just then Ron chomped down on a tall sandwich that he had been stacking during the conversation. "Wha'?" he muffled.

"Okay, I see your point," she resigned. Harry just smiled and nodded.

"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat upon intruding on the picnic the trio had set in the middle of his office.

"Mr. Weasley, I thought I told you to go to dinner." Dumbledore lightly scolded Ron.

"I did," he pointed at the plate on his lap, "but Harry said he was starving on the way here. Then Hermione wouldn't let me go without telling her where I was going with two trays of food. I didn't tell her, she followed me, and nobody saw us come in, not even Harry.

"No, I suppose not. Ms. Granger, you are also sworn to secrecy."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione held up a lemon tart, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Thank you. Why don't you take that, I'll start with one of these sandwiches." He took the top four layers off of one of Ron's towers and set his twinkling eyes on Harry, who was giggling to himself.

Dumbledore answered the knock on the door, calling out, "Come in, Severus! Do have something to eat."

"No thank you, I couldn't." His eyes narrowed at the sight of Harry Potter and walked in only a few steps. "I was looking for Munin. I felt, rather, I thought he might be here."

Dumbledore asked, "Ron, Hermione, please excuse us. We have business to conduct." Ron patted Harry on the shoulder and Hermione gave his arm a squeeze on their way out.

"Must he stay too?" Snape sneered at Harry before picking off the top layers of one of the sandwich towers and folded it into a half sandwich. "Where is my bird?" he asked softly as he took a chair in front of the headmaster's desk and flicked capers off the meat onto the tray.

"Severus, I have something to tell you. Harry was your raven, Munin. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but you were both getting on so well. Except for when you took him with you to a Death Eater assignment, I felt he was always well cared for and guarded." Snape's jaw dropped. Harry could feel through the bond that the man before him felt like the whole world was crashing down on him at once.

"I'm sorry, Professor." Harry said softly, "I really enjoyed your lessons and playing catch with you. Anyway, you put this band on me and then you named me and sealed the spell. Speaking of which, can you remove it, please?" Harry took his shoe off and pointed to the band on his toe.

Snape jumped out of his chair and confronted the youth in his face. "I don't need this foolishness right now! I am not touching your foot. I did not take Harry Potter on a Death Eater assignment. I did not play catch with Harry Potter. And I certainly did not kiss him on the head!"

"Nobody knows that," Harry whispered.

"Calm down, Severus. You did not do any of those things with Mr. Potter, you did it with Munin. Did you say you kissed him?"

"NO! Where is he? He's upset right now and a little scared." Snape stood up to continue conversation with Dumbledore.

"Unavailable, I'm afraid." Dumbledore looked sternly at Harry, who was struggling to keep a blank face. "Don't worry, he'll come around."

At the same time that Harry closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, Snape grimace and said, "I've got to go now. Perhaps Fawkes can bring this to me when I call for it." He handed a leather pouch with a flask in it.

"Severus, for that to work, you might have to expose your true loyalty which will could get you killed for certain."

"What's the difference, I go to my death anyway."

"Yet you continue to fight." Dumbledore smiled, "This, no doubt, is your insurance. Don't worry, I'll get it to you. Munin will tell me when you call."

"Headmaster, it's been a pleasure serving you," Severus bowed his head and turned in a billow of black robes. He swept gracefully out the door with his jaw set.

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued..._

A/N: I cannot say it enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing. Starangel2106, Silverthreads, Lucky, Persephone Lupin, Sky, Toras, Romm, lilith, ataraxis, Anna Taure, Snowfox, sakurasaisaka, ShadowedHand, Wren Truesong, texasjeanette, Werinaya, chambermaid, Mystic Phoenix, gaul1, EAV. My apologies for not answering the questions individually this time. I tried to answer them in the chapter, if not this one, then maybe the next one if I don't forget. I don't know how many chapters it will take to tell my story, I'll just keep writing until it's all told. This chap was longer than usual because I couldn't find a good break point without leaving a cliff hanger, so I just wrote and wrote. I'm sure you don't mind.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Yes, I know I left you on a little cliff last chapter, but it wasn't as bad as some of the others I passed up before I found that one. I wanted to get out what I had already written.  
  
**Chapter 10** (uploaded 10/11/04)

Peter Pettigrew answered the knock on the door. "You got my letter," he rubbed his palms together. "You made the antidote?"

Snape nodded once, "It's not here yet."

"You were supposed to bring it with you."

"Someone flushed fireworks in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom again. I was interrupted, so it wasn't ready when I was summoned." Crabbe Sr., who had escorted the professor, pushed him from behind toward the opened door. "It will be delivered as long as I am alive to receive it." Snape hovered over the shorter wizard, "Do you understand me?"

"Yeh." Peter grumbled something under his breath about tricky Slytherins.

-----ooOoo-----

Dumbledore paced in front of his desk while Harry wrote out his homework assignments. The kid's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth while he thought out his potions essay. He idly tickled his ear with the golden phoenix feather he used as a quill.

"Need help?" Dumbledore smiled at the cuteness, thinking Harry looked young for his age at that moment.

"Well, I was thinking of the potion that turned me into a raven. It made me sleepy after taking it and seems to have a long delay. The same with the antidote. It's obviously effective, but it takes too long to kick in and the sleepiness makes it inconvenient."

"It sounds like the recipe simply hasn't had the time to meld. It probably wasn't simmered long enough. I would venture to guess that someone took shortcuts. Are you going to tell me who this someone is?"

"I can't, I gave my word and I'm not really all that angry about it. So...if it has been bottled already, can it be put back into a cauldron for more cooking time to fix it?"

"I wouldn't recommend it. It could turn wrong, very wrong, indeed."

"Oh. What chapter is that in?" Harry ruffled forward through the pages of the textbook.

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses, "Fourth year, Mr. Potter."

Harry blushed, "I must have been busy with the tournament or something. Hey, I remember something about it! You can also allow it to mature in the bottle for a couple weeks and to make up for the time in the cauldron." Suddenly, Harry doubled over and fell behind the desk, and moaned loudly.

"Harry!" Dumbledore ran over to the moaning student. "What is it? Your stomach?"

"The band, cut it off please. Cut my toe if you have to. Make it stop!"

"I'd rather not resort to that. What's happening, lad?"

"Snape. He's being punished."

"Not the Cruciatus curse again?" Dumbledore looked up at Fawkes, who lifted his wings and shook his head.

"No. Everything but. The Death Eaters are doing it," Harry panted. "He's calling me. He's calling for Munin." Harry pushed himself off the floor and paused on his hands and knees.

"I can't let you go, Harry. Voldemort is looking for you."

"But you don't know where he is."

"Fawkes can find him."

"Then why isn't Fawkes going?"

"Harry, you were able to call Fawkes from The Chamber because you demonstrated true loyalty to me. I'm afraid he hasn't yet shown the same loyalty."

"Professor, he's practically unconscious!"

"I'm going to alert the Order and call Poppy. Stay right there. Do I have to tie you up to make you obey me?" Harry's answer was to fake another stomach pain and yelp. Dumbledore left him writhing on the floor and ran off to make his calls.

Harry saw his opportunity and ran to the chair where his invisibility cloak was bundled. He took Snape's pouch off the Headmaster's desk. But then he was at a loss. Covering himself up with the cloak, he ran to the storage dungeon.

"Alohomora!" Harry said softly. But nothing happened. "Damn!" He opened the peeper window and stuck the tip of his wand into the room. "Wingardium Leviosa!" A small vial floated above the shelves and slowly made its way toward the wizard. Unfortunately, the cloak had slipped and exposed Harry's head and hands as he worked.

"Potter! What are you doing?" a familiar voice hissed. Harry lost concentration and dropped the vial onto the stone floor, shattering the vial. He turned angrily toward the source of the voice, "Malfoy!" But pain overtook him again. He clutched his stomach and slid down with his back to the door. Draco approached him slowly with eyes narrowed, dragging his broom. He looked like he had just come in from Quidditch practice.

"No, I'm bonded to Snape. He needs me," Harry gasped.

"Needs you? That's a laugh," the blonde boy smirked.

"Just shut up. I need a couple vials of the raven potion." Harry doubled over again, clutching his stomach and moaning. He recovered quickly and he clawed his way back up to the peeper window but he turned his head and looked Draco up and down. "Hey, can I borrow your broom?"

"No! You're serious! You think you're going to go rescue him, don't you. You're bloody mad. I'm going to tell Dumbledore." Draco held his broom out of Harry's reach. Without thinking, Harry punched him in the chin, knocking him out. He returned to his task of luring the vials he wanted through the window. Finally managing to attract three vials through the window, he stuffed them into the leather pouch. Harry was just working the broom out of Malfoy's grasp when he moaned and started to come to. When the Slytherin realized what was happening, he started wrestling back for control of the broom.

They rolled down the hallway as they fought. At one point, Harry was able to snatch the broom from the Slytherin seeker and run up the stairs and out the door with the broom. But Malfoy was hot on his tail. He caught up to Harry outside and did a diving tackle. Harry was mounted on the broom already and had started levitating a dozen feet in the air.

"Let go, stupid git!" Harry yelled at the blonde 16-year old hanging off the broom.

"It's my broom!"

Harry zigged and zagged his way over the lake to shake off his opponent, but Malfoy's grip was as incredible as his determination.

"Fine, then you're coming with me!" Harry rolled and turned such that Malfoy was forced into a sitting position behind him on the broom. He yelled back at the new passenger, "Cover yourself up with the invisibility cloak!"

-----ooOoo-----

Outside a basement window, in the dark, Malfoy said a bit loudly, "What have you gotten me into, Potter?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry hissed. "If you must talk, keep your voice down. Look in the window."

"Hey, what am I supposed to do?" Malfoy whispered.

"Be quiet! Just have a look."

"But you get to be invisible. I'm exposed here."

"They're not going to kill you if they find you. That's your father stomping on Snape."

"No it isn't! Yes it is," Draco blanched as he watched his father taking his turn at kicking Professor Snape in the stomach as laid out on the floor. Then his Auntie Bella suspended him upside down, while her husband, Uncle Rodolphus took swings with a bludger bat on his back. Draco's face took a greenish tinge as he looked away from the scene. Bellatrix dropped Snape back on the floor when he threw up.

"Who'ssss nexxxxt?" Voldemort hissed. Harry got up and knocked on the front door, making sure he was completely cloaked before the door opened.

Laughter from the others, Crabbe, Avery, Rabastan resounded from the room. Bellatrix Lestrange's harsh laughter rang above the others. Wormtail walked out of the room, and within a few minutes, the front door was opening. The rat animagus stood on the porch, looked out into the dark and lit his wand. "Who's out there?" Wormtail peered into the bushes but Harry could see Draco had covered himself in the shrubbery and had pulled his Quidditch cape over his head. The Gryffindor student snuck up behind Wormtail to cover his mouth, spoke quietly into his ear, while jabbing a wand into his ribs, "Be quiet. I have your antidote, but you need to get Snape out of there."

Harry slipped his arm down into a choke hold. "Who are you?" Wormtail's eyes shifted back and forth. "I can't just go in there and get him. They'll take their turns on me next."

"I'll give you a distraction, you get him out of the room. Where do we meet? I'm warning you, if you're not alone with him, I'll dump out the antidote."

"No, don't! There is a gardener's shed is on the other side of the house. I'll bring him there, it's already set up for basic potions."

Once Wormtail went back into the house, Harry jumped into the bushes and pulled a Weasley's Wheezes Basic Blaze Box from his robes, "Here, help me light these." He touched the tip of his wand to one of the fuses and sent it off into the sky where it exploded. Draco helped him light the rest.

When the room had cleared out, Harry tried to blast the window, as he had seen Snape and Lucius Malfoy do at the Dursley raid. Draco smirked at the puff of smoke Harry managed, "Is that the best you can do, Hero? You have to think of a bad experience."

Harry nodded and set his thoughts on the Dursleys and the closet he grew up in. His spell bounced off the window. Draco taunted again, "Ha, Snape is right, you have been coddled."

"Shut up, I can do this." Harry then set his thoughts on the time he was tied to a gravestone and on the receiving end of Voldemort's Cruciatus curse. He blasted through the window, leaving the frame smoldering.

"That was a bit much," Draco said, wide eyed.

Harry returned with a smirk and threw a portable swamp into the room. With his back to the wall, Harry lead the way around the house, toward the gardener's shed.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Draco kept repeating, as followed Potter through the shadows.

"You're not doing this for me, okay? It's for your godfather." Malfoy sighed at Potter's words.

When they were assured that the Death Eaters were occupied with either the swamp or the Weasley Whiz Bangs, they dashed into the dark shed and found Snape curled into a ball on the floor. Harry found a cauldron and started chopping ingredients as he found them. "Hey, what about my potion," Wormtail had been hiding in the dark in rat form.

"Potion, I made the potion," Snape mumbled into the floor.

"What are you doing, Potter?" Draco wrinkled his nose at the smell.

"This is the same potion that you made the other day after playing Quidditch in the dungeons," Harry replied. Just then, Snape stirred with a moan and threw up blood on the floor. The sight sent Draco over the edge, as he turned into the corner and threw up, too.

"Someone's coming!" Peter closed the door he was peeking out of.

Harry grabbed Draco by the arm and pulled him to the cauldron. "I can't," Draco said, while grabbing his stomach. Harry dug into his pockets and produced a puking pastille. He pinched off the half that cause the eater to vomit and gave Draco the other half. "Just eat it!" Harry pressed it into Draco's palm as he covered himself up with his invisibility cloak once again.

When the door opened up with a bang, Draco popped the candy into his mouth and turned to the door. A rat skittered across the floor and disappeared as Harry picked it up and pulled it under the cloak. "Father!" Draco exclaimed with wand light shining in his face.

"What are you doing out of school, Draco?"

"Professor Snape needed my help," he managed to squeak. He threw another handful of ingredients into the cauldron. "This is a potion for contusions and bruises."

"Yes, I know it well. Fine, take him back to Hogwarts with you." Lucius directed his wand light to all corners of the shed. He made a face of disgust when he saw the vomit on the walls and blood on the floor. Snape moaned again and stirred, "Munin, where are you? I know you're here."

"Munin?" Lucius asked.

"His pet raven. He's out of it. I saw you kick him. I thought you were friends."

"If someone you call a friend isn't good for something, you find another 'friend.' If your friend brings you down with him, you cut the tie. Get used to it. Don't stay too long."

"Does that apply to family too? I need a written excuse so I can get back into Hogwarts." Draco asked.

"You snuck out, you can sneak back in...on your own. And yes, it applies to family, too," Lucius said coldly as he backed out the door and shut it quietly.

Snape awoke again and heaved, but nothing came up until he coughed up more blood. Peter transformed back, "He's bleeding internally."

Harry pulled a Skiving Snack Box from his robes and picked out the Nosebleed Nougat. He cut it in half and threw away the part that gave nosebleeds. "Here, Professor, chew on this. It'll stop the bleeding."

"Munin, is that you?"

"Yes, Professor. It's Munin." Snape chewed and swallowed the candy while Harry brushed the black hair from the professor's pale skin. Snape turned to his side and had a couple of dry heaves. He was left shaking and trembling on the floor. Harry gave him the recovery half of another puking pastille. Harry took the flask from the pouch around his neck and pulled out the flask. A note floated out of the pouch. Harry picked it up and read it out loud. "Dilute in a tub of water. Soak for at least a half hour." Pettigrew clapped his hands and took the flask and note from Harry.

After the rat animagus left, Harry threw a portable swamp out the door and another one out the window. "Hey, idiot, how am I supposed to get out of here now?" Draco scowled at the black-haired Gryffindor.

"We need some time for him to get stronger." Harry said, as he went through Snape's pockets. He pulled an unlabeled bottle and illuminated it with his wand. Not recognizing it, he set it down, but Draco picked it up, uncorked it, and sniffed. He put it to Snape's lips and said, "Pain potion."

"Draco? What are you doing here?" Snape sipped the potion.

Harry yelped as he pulled his hand out of another of Snape's pockets, but the wound healed before the solution had a chance to dry on his hand. "I guess that was murtlap solution. The bottle's broken." Harry got up and returned with a wet rag. He put it over Snape's bruises on his face, who, in turn, moaned in relief before passing out again.

Harry tugged on Snape's already shredded robes to expose his wounds. "Eww," Draco gasped as he got up and returned with more potion soaked rags to put on Snape's chest and stomach.

Harry moved toward the window, "I hear something." The teens peered though the window and, just past the end of the swamp, saw a small circle of Death Eaters around Voldemort and a small fire. Draco had a look of disgust as they took turns crawling up to kiss the hems of the Dark Lord's robes and apologized for their ineptitude. "What time is it?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at his watch and said, "Midnight."

"Has anyone checked the Gardener's shed?" Voldemort pointed toward the boys.

"I have, my lord. It was empty." Lucius volunteered.

"You lie, Lucius!" The Dark Lord kicked him in the face, sending him scrambling backwards to take his place in the circle. "Bella, find out who is in there. Someone find Wormtail!"

"Yes, my lord." She growled. Two shadows ran away from the circle.

"He was groveling. Damn, hypocrite," Draco whispered harshly. "Shit! She's coming here!" They ducked under the window.

"Ironic, isn't it? A bunch of purebloods groveling at the feet of a half-blood," Harry smirked, earning a scowl from Draco. "You know, Professor Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort fears."

"Shut up and do something," Draco hissed.

"Okay, hold your thestrals. Oh wait, you can't see thestrals, can you?" Harry dug into the leather pouch. He poured the small vial of transfiguration formula into Snape's mouth and took another in his hand. "Wear my invisibility cloak and fly off. If you're caught, there's one more vial of raven potion in case of an emergency. You also have the Skiving Snack Box. You might get some sympathy if you throw up or have a nosebleed or a fever. The directions are inside the box. You eat half to get sick. Eat the other half to get better. Just read to know what color to eat first."

Just then they heard Bellatrix sloshing in the mud and cursing her way around the shed. With a crack, Severus turned into a raven. Wearing just his boxers, and after stuffing his clothes and wand into the wizard's pouch, Harry gently picked up the black bird and crawled under the table and put boxes in front of him to block anyone's view. Draco was scrambling to collect Snape's robes.

-----ooOoo-----

"Draco!" Bellatrix exclaimed, as Draco stuffed Snape's wand into the wizard's pouch.

"Oh, hi Auntie Bella," Draco managed to vocalize, as her wand light illuminated the walls and floor. "It's just me."

"Get out here. The Dark Lord would like to meet you. "Where's Severus?"

Draco threw down Snape's robes. "He woke up and apparated." He hesitated as he left the threshold, "I don't want to step in that, levitate me, please Auntie Bella?" Draco resolved to put on his sweet face and charm his mother's older sister.

She pointed her wand at his head, "Pick that up, boy." Draco gathered the shreds of black cloth. "Narcissa spoils you." She waved her wand, allowing Draco to float to the edge of the muddy swamp.

When she caught up, Draco kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks Auntie, so do you."

"This way, insufferable brat."

"You say that with such affection," Draco crooned with a fake smile. As soon as they were out of the shed, Harry, now a raven, hopped to the window sill to watch.

The blonde boy was shoved into the center of the circle, facing the Dark Lord. "My lord," Bella bowed deeply to Voldemort, "this is Draco Malfoy. He was in the shed. He says that Severus has disapparated. On your knees, boy!" His aunt pushed down on his head until his knees dropped to the ground. He dropped the black, blood soaked robes in front of him.

"Malfoy offspring, how nice. Your nephew, Bella? What were you doing in there, boy!?" Voldemort's high pitch voice made Draco's hair stand on the back of his neck and sent shivers down his spine.

"Uncle Severus needed help. I brewed the potion for bruises and administered other potions for pain and internal bleeding until he came around." Draco lifted his head to look into Voldemort's red eyes and got a slap on the back of his head, so he dropped his eyes again.

"Good at potions, are you?"

"Top boy in my class, sir. I could be Head Boy next year, on Professor Snape's recommendation."

"Then you should know, Head Boy, that Snape could not have disapparated from the shed, these grounds are warded against it. More than that, wizards do not leave their clothes behind when they disapparate. Where is he?"

"I don't know," beads of sweat grew on his forehead, "I heard a crack and then he wasn't there anymore. All I know is that he's gone, so I assumed that he disapparated. He was weak, maybe he got splinched." That caused the group to laugh, but it wasn't a laugh of glee. It made the feathers on Harry's neck quiver.

"Do you wish to join me, Draco Malfoy?"

"Join the Death Eaters? I've still got two years of school yet. I don't think I'm ready for friends like these. I don't deserve this kind of...friendship."

"You are correct, boy. You don't deserve it yet. But I like you. I'm going to keep my eye on you. Give me your arm."

Draco stood up, only to be slapped down again. He scooted backwards on the grass, away from the Dark Lord, who walked ominously toward him. Rabastan and Rodolphus picked him up under his arms and held out his left. "Come on, nephew. You either accept the invitation or die."

Draco struggled and kicked against them, "No! Don't! I don't want this! You just wait until Dumbledore hears about this, I know you're afraid of him!"

Suddenly, like a meteor shower, lights fell out of the sky. They were led by the flaming streak that was Fawkes and got bigger as they reached the ground, easily outnumbering the Death Eaters two, or three-to-one. "The Order!" Harry cheered. "Haha, Draco proved his loyalty to Dumbledore! He called Fawkes!" He was about to jump out the window to join them, but was snapped out of his reverie by Snape's weak croak. Instead, he went to the other raven, laying behind the table.

"Shh, it's okay now." Harry coo'd, "I'd have never believed it. Draco called Dumbledore!"

Snape looked up from where he was laying, "Munin? Why, you're so big!"

"No, Professor, you're a raven."

"A raven," Snape repeated weakly, "I've died and come back as a raven. Please call me Severus."

"Professor, you never died," Harry sighed, "We can talk about this when you're stronger, go back to sleep." Harry fell asleep and missed his opportunity to go home to Hogwarts when Order members searched the shed and missed the two birds hidden behind the boxes under the table.

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued..._

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I hope you enjoyed this extra long (for me) chapter. Chocolate brownies and ice cream to everyone who reviewed and made my day: Wren Truesong, starangel2106, Silverthreads, Mystic Phoenix, Werinaya, ShadowedHand, Anna Taure, Manx, texasjeanette, gaul1, sakura saisaka, ataraxis, Vyxagallanxchi, Lucky, Sky, tall oaks, Persephone Lupin.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Raven II**  
  
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

From last chapter:

_Snape looked up from where he was laying, "Munin? Why, you're so big!"_

"_No, Professor, you're a raven."_

"_A raven," Snape repeated weakly, "I've died and come back as a raven."_

**Chapter 11** (uploaded 11/3/04)

Draco Malfoy was taken to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix shortly after the midnight raid. "Firstly, Mr. Malfoy, I'd like to thank you for the loyalty to me that you have demonstrated. Only such loyalty could have called Fawkes to you."

"Loyalty?" Draco snorted, "What loyalty? I panicked and repeated what Potter said about you."

"Then you must have believed it in your heart. I also believe you were the last to see Mr. Potter and Professor Snape. Do you know where they went?"

"I last saw them in the shed."

Retired auror, Mad-Eye Moody jumped into Malfoy's face, "You know more than that, boy!"

The sixth-year prefect squirmed in his seat. "That's the truth!"

The Headmaster pulled Moody back, "It is, Alastor. Draco, have you decided not to join the Death Eaters? Witnesses say you were about to take the mark."

"No, the Dark Lord said I wasn't worthy. I saw how he treats the Death Eaters. He said he was going to keep an eye on me. I don't know why he wanted my arm, but I got scared. I'm not bowing down to anybody, let alone a Half-Blood. He's not going to treat me like a house elf, no sir."

Dumbledore spoke gravely, "They'll try to entice you again. No doubt through your father."

"Professor, I'm not feeling well." Draco was tired and suddenly sick to his stomach at hearing he would be confronted again. He just wanted to be left alone and end the inquisition.

"Draco, my door is always open. I'll make myself available if you ever need to talk."

"Thank you. Can I go now?"

"We're not done yet, boy," Mad-Eye walked a predatory circle around the teen, making him even more uncomfortable. "What happened to Potter?"

Draco clutched his stomach and dived under the table. While his head was down, he popped a Fever Fudge into his mouth and moaned.

Dumbledore and Moody ran to boy on the floor. Dumbledore put his hand over the blonde's forehead. "He's burning up. I'm taking him back to Hogwarts immediately," the headmaster levitated the student to the table and laid him out, where he continued to moan.

"Albus, He's faking! We must find out what happened to Harry!" Mad-Eye protested.

"Alastor, this fever is very real. Now, retrace your steps. Look through the shed yourself. Bring backup. I realize he isn't telling everything he knows, but he's not lying. He really doesn't know where they are."

"Damned son-of-a-death-eater. Slimy slippery sort, all of them!" the ex-auror grumbled as he stumped out of the room. "He got sick awfully quickly. You should check out those sweets in his pocket." Moody's wandering eyeball fixed itself on the student's pocket.

"Go on, my old friend. Do what you have to do. I must see to the welfare of my students first." Dumbledore said as he levitated Draco through the door.

-----ooOoo-----

Not realizing how tired he was and due to the side effect of the raven transformation potion, Harry fell asleep huddled next to Severus under the table in the shack. As Order members searched the grounds, they missed the pair of black birds well hidden in the shadows behind boxes.

Snape stirred early in the morning and stretched his wings, awakening Harry. "Sorry, Munin, didn't mean to wake you."

Harry stretched, too, "It's okay. I'm hungry, how about you? Are you up to flying?"

"I don't know. I can try, I suppose. My wings seem to have grown in at an incredible rate."

"Uh, you do realize you're a fully grown bird, don't you?"

"I'm not a baby?"

Harry heaved a sigh. "You're a wizard."

HISSSS!! "I ssssmell breakfassssst."

"Dear Merlin!" Harry gasped, "That's Nagini. We've got to get out of here now. I pray you can fly!"

"I ache all over, but I can try."

"Fine, you lead." Snape hopped to the window and flew out from there. Nagini lunged, barely missing his black tail feathers. Harry flew over Nagini's head as the snake recoiled. Harry found the half of a Nosebleed Nougat that he had thrown down the previous night and dropped it into the snake's mouth when she lunged again as Harry flew over her head. Snape only went as far as the nearest tree, landing out of breath on a sturdy limb.

"I can't go any further," Snape huffed, "that was terribly exhausting."

Harry landed quietly next to him. "I think we're okay here, for now."

"Munin, I have so many questions floating through my mind. The last thing I remember, I was being punished down in the basement. I believe I passed out after a couple bludgers to the head. I remember seeing Draco and hearing your voice, or was that a dream?"

"Let's back up some. Do you remember before you left, you were in the Headmaster's office?"

"Yes, that obnoxious Gryffindor brat was telling me he was Munin. He wanted me to remove a toe ring from his foot. How utterly disgusting."

"You know, in our current states, I find it awkward to keep calling you Professor Snape and I'm not ready to call you Severus. Can I call you Hugin?"

"Hmm, Hugin and Munin. I like it. Yes, I like it very much."

"So why do you hate Harry Potter so much? I think he's a nice guy. Is it because of his father and his friends?"

"I don't hate Potter. I've known the boy for over five years now, and he's done more than enough on his own to deserve my treatment toward him. He is cheeky and a rule breaker. He's not that great of a student, but a decent Quidditch player. I don't treat him any more severely than anyone else, but he leaves himself open to my verbal attacks, so I take them as I would with anybody. I will not tolerate backtalk from any student, not even from my own house. He has so much to learn in order to survive past Hogwarts, more so than even Draco, and he takes his responsibilities too lightly."

"Maybe he isn't ready for those responsibilities. Or maybe he doesn't want it."

"Everybody has responsibilities, whether they want it or not. We've digressed. How did I get out of the basement?"

"Well, the Potter kid had an invisibility cloak on and knocked on the front door while Draco hid in the bushes." It was killing Harry that he couldn't just tell his professor outright who he really was. He'd tried that twice already, but Snape refused to believe.

"Munin, why do I feel like you can't tell me everything?"

"Oh yeh, you still feel the bond, don't you? I'll come back to that part. It was because of the bond that I had to come for you, even when you hadn't yet called Fawkes to you. He was waiting, you know."

"I couldn't bring myself to do it. So Draco brought Potter here? How did he find me?"

"I think Draco would say that I brought him here. I wanted to borrow his broom but Draco wouldn't let his beloved broom out of his sight. He's very materialistic."

"Yes, he is. He's arrogant, as well. Why was Potter here then?"

"I'm getting to that. Well, Draco saw his father, Auntie Bella, and uncles beating up on his nearly unconscious Godfather. He found out that they're more loyal to Voldemort than to their own blood."

"Do not say his name!"

"Sorry. And he saw everyone groveling at Vol—sorry—the Dark Lord's feet. And he saw his father get kicked back into place, like Lucius used to kick Dobby, his former house elf. Potter happened to mention that the Dark Lord is a half-blood. So when they found Draco hiding in the gardener's shed, they dragged him into the circle. They were going to mark him, or something, but he fought back and that's when he called Fawkes. It was his arrogance that saved his hide, he didn't want to grovel or get treated like a house elf." Harry cackled.

"He's safe, then."

"Yes, I'm sure Dumbledore took him away. But you called me back to you and I missed the rest."

"Why was Potter here? Was Draco going to turn him in?"

"Sir, Dumbledore and I tried to tell you before you left and I tried telling you again early this morning. I am Harry Potter. I am bonded to you. When you called, you were in pain and I felt it, too. But you already had in your mind that if you died, you wanted to come back as a raven and be my brother. In order to escape, I gave you a transfiguration potion. So now we're both in hiding as ravens. Do you still want to be my brother? My big brother?"

"You really want that, don't you? I can feel you do. Why would you want a miserable, greasy, whining overgrown bat as your big brother?"

"You're not all that! You really care for your students. You really care about your potions and professional reputation, even if you don't or can't accept recognition. Besides you're now a miserable, greasy, whining overgrown bird and I want to play catch the snidget with you."

"No, I'm n—" Snape started to protest but stopped himself to draw out more information. "You gave me some potions last night, you and Draco."

"Yes. I started making the potion for contusions, but Draco had to finish it when Lucius came in and found us. I had to hide."

"You took an awful chance, Potter. The Dark Lord has been looking for you. I suppose now I'm obligated to look after you until we return to Hogwarts."

"I can take care of myself, I've done it as long as I can remember. Right now, I'm hungry. I'll be back soon." Harry flew off into the rising sun. To Severus, it seemed like he had only blinked and his little friend, had already eaten half the apple he'd brought back.

"That was quick."

"You fell asleep. Here, I brought an apple for you."

"An apple for the teacher. Hell, it's got a bloody worm in it, Potter!"

"Uh, call me Munin. But you're a bird, I thought you'd want it."

"You eat it."

"No thanks, I'm full. Besides, I got it especially for you."

Snape growled, "You're still a pain in my tail feathers."

"I'm bored. I guess I'll go flying and check out the big house."

"The Dark Lord is in there. Be careful. Don't make me come after you."

"It's okay, I'll be fine."

-----ooOoo-----

"Nagini! What's wrong with you?" Voldemort cradled Nagini's head and wiped the blood that leaked out her nose.

"Ssssssomthing I ate," she replied, weakly, "I think it was nougat."

"Where did you get candy? You should not eat candy, my pet."

"I found two birds in the shed. The small one dropped it into my mouth. I think it was laced with a potion." Nagini twitched. "I won't last long in this condition."

"Bella!"

"You called, my Lord?"

"Was anyone captured?"

"No, milord, everyone escaped."

"What happened to Wormtail? Where was he?"

"Snape gave him a potion to remove the coloring. Apparently it was a prank between them. He was having a soak in the bathtub when Aurors arrived and found him. They tried to remove him, but he refused to leave until the sands in the hour-glass ran out. So they waited. When they unplugged the drain, Wormtail grabbed his wand and escaped down the pipe. He's out there somewhere."

"Good, he'll return to me. What of Snape?"

"He has not turned up anywhere. Dumbledore has reported him to the Ministry as missing. He misses his dear Potions Master, no doubt."

"Well, I miss him too. Nagini is sick. Get out there and find him before Dumbledore does. Call as many Death Eaters as you need."

"What about Potter?"

"We'll deal with Harry Potter another time. Nagini could die if I can't stop the bleeding. Apparently it's due to a potion-laced candy she found in the shed."

"I never would have imagined you sentimentally attached to anybody or any thing."

"It is strictly business, Bella. I owe her for sustaining me while I was diminished."

-----ooOoo-----

_To be continued..._

A/N: Where did the time go since my last post? I got really busy at work, even working through my lunch and evenings. I really appreciate your encouragements and criticisms. Sorry that this chapter didn't cover more story. After a climax like the last chapter, I needed to tie up some loose ends and transition to the next chapter, which is half written. I'll try to get it out next week, but I've been called up for jury duty. Damn.

My thanks for your reviews: ataraxis, starangel2106, Silverthreads, simpleinsanity, Gaul1, Wren Truesong, ShadowedHand, zippyzany, Mystic Phoenix, Dimidium Vocis, Ms. Padfoot (x2), Persephone Lupin, elrohir lover, The Sunflower Official, Werinaya, Vyxagallanxchi, Chambermaid, Lucky, Silver Scale Serpent, Booger.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Jury duty was very boring. I rewrote this chapter during that time, but I wrote in a notebook. So I had to find the time to type it after my cheap, short-notice, very exiting trip to the other side of the world, China!

**Chapter 12** (uploaded 12/17/04)

_Har-ry and Se-ve-rus sitting in a tree…_

"Stop it! Shut up!" Snape woke out of his dream with a squawk.

"Stop what, Professor?" Harry looked down from the nest he was working on.

"What the—. Nothing. It was nothing. Sorry." Snape waddled to a wider part of the branch and put his belly and head down on the bark.

"Bad dream? I get them all the time."

"What are you doing up there, boy?"

"I found an empty nest. I was just padding it with some leaves and grass because the twigs were sticking me in the chest. Come up, there's room for you." Harry's head disappeared again behind the nest as he arranged more leaves.

A fat eagle owl landed in front of Snape and leaned over to inspect the shiny feathers of the black bird at his feathery feet. "What do you want?" Snape croaked without lifting his head.

"Message for Severus Snape," the owl announced.

"Go away, whoever this Severus Snape is not in this tree." Snape flew up to Harry's nest and settled in. He started throwing out trinkets, glittering stones, and scraps of metal.

"HEY!" Harry protested, "Those are mine, I found them."

"They are of no value and they're taking up room in here."

"But they're pretty and shiny!"

Snape whispered, "I think you've been a raven too long already. You're losing yourself in your form."

Harry's head tilted to the side, "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Potter, listen to me," Snape continued to keep his voice down and looked over the edge of the nest to see if the owl had gone yet. "It's taught in newt-level transfigurations. We must get you back to your proper form as soon as possible. Your mind is very impressionable at your age. You really shouldn't go more than a week for your first time in a new form." The owl sat below looking out for a wizard and scratching his head.

"Did you lose yourself over the summer? You were a raven about 2 months," Harry scoffed. "Besides, I had a few hours as myself before you called me."

"I am not as impressionable as you and I have far superior mental discipline," Snape coolly replied.

Harry snorted, "You mean you're stubborn and hard headed."

RAWK! "Enough of your cheek, you juvenile delinquent." Snape lunged to peck the little raven on the head, but Harry quickly flew up to the highest twig on the tree that would support his weight. There, he basked in the sunshine and let the warmth fill his wings.

After a while, the owl hopped up to the same level as the nest. "Uhm, message for Severus Snape?"

Snape glared at the owl. "Go away."

Harry flew off and returned with a beak full of leaves and grass. Snape took them and arranged them until they had a comfortable bed. After a few more trips, Harry felt comfortable enough to settle in next to the other black bird.

But he could take only so much silence. "Hullo," Harry's unruly head of feathers popped out of the nest.

"Message for Severus Snape," the owl hooted again.

"Dumb bird," Snape mumbled into his wing.

"Who is Severus Snape?" Harry asked politely.

"Uhm, he's a wizard. Yup, a wizard who teaches at Hogwarts. I usually deliver his mail to Hogwarts," the big dumb owl hooted.

"So why are you looking for him in this tree?" Harry cackled. "Are we at Hogwarts?"

"Far from Hogwarts, little bird," the owl said, snootily.

"Stop indulging him." Snape clicked his beak at Harry, "Ignore him, maybe he'll go away."

"I see, and if you just hide your head under your wing, maybe the rest of the world will go away too, right?"

"Insolent brat!" Snape pushed Harry out of the nest. "Occupy yourself. Go find something to eat," Snape ordered. Harry huffed, but otherwise flew away silently, content to get away from the grumpy bird.

"Who do you work for?" Snape asked the owl.

"The Crabbe family," answered the eagle owl.

"Figures," Snape snickered and started preening his wings, that is, until another fat owl landed in the tree.

"Go away," Snape croaked at the new arrival.

"Message for Severus Snape," hooted the new owl.

"There is no Severus Snape here!" Snape growled. "Who do YOU work for?"

"I am employed by the Goyles."

"You don't say," Snape coo'd sardonically and returned to preening his black feathers to make them shiny and ready for flight.

"Hiya, Crabbe," one owl said to the other.

"Hey, Goyle," the other nodded back.

"Help! A little help, please?" Harry cried out. Chased by several small birds, he was carrying a small nest. Snape jumped out of the tree and flew into action, putting himself between Harry and the lead bird in the chase.

"Did you have to steal the whole bloody nest, Munin?"

"Well, I'm a growing bird and I was hungry." They landed back in their tree once the little birds gave up on saving their eggs. "Oi, you're still here. Who's the other owl?"

"The first one works for the Crabbes and the other works for the Goyles," Snape answered for the owls. "Come on, let's have it!"

"Um, okay. Well, we have three eggs, still warm. I picked up two walnuts. I think this one has a fat worm in it."

"Oo! Can I have it?" the Goyle owl ran up the tree limb to the nest-basket. Harry tried to pick it up with his beak, but the Goyle owl managed easily on his own.

"The other has a beetle," Harry pecked at the shell to annoy its inhabitant and listen to the scratching inside the nut.

"Dibs! Mine!" the Crabbe owl hopped over the Goyle owl to snatch his treat and flew up to a higher limb.

"You can have two eggs, Hugin," Harry said to Snape. "I've already eaten one to try it. That was just before the birds caught me."

Snape snorted and picked up a speckled egg. He pecked a hole into it to slurp out its contents. "Not bad, at least it is nutritious."

"Are you feeling better, um, Hugin?"

"Yes, much stronger, although I have a lingering headache."

After a satisfying meal, Snape and Harry settled into their new nest for a nap. The owls would not leave the tree and, in fact, were joined by two more eagle owls sent by Rudolphus Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy. They sat on the highest twigs that would support their weight.

Harry awoke first and stretched his wings while he looked around. The stirring woke Snape out of his nap. "We've got more owls in our tree," Harry complained. "Why do they have to sit in our tree?"

"There goes the neighborhood," Snape yawned. He recognized the birds from his association with the forementioned Death Eaters.

"Isn't there some way we can get rid of them?"

"Not unless they make a successful delivery."

"Excuse me," Harry addressed the closest owl, who happened to belong to the Goyles. "Can't you just leave your message here? I'll give it to Snape next time I see him."

"I can't do that, little bird. It's tracer message. If it ends up locating more wild geese, my owner said he would pluck me bare and hang me upside down on the back porch."

Snape muffled Harry's cackle when he jumped on his back and clamped down on his beak. "Shhh.," was Snape's only warning to the young raven.

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued_…

A/N: Sorry it's a short chapter. I tried to write more, but I wanted to get something out before I leave town again for Christmas. I'd like to thank everyone who is reading and reviewing, including Silverthreads, E.A.V, starangel2106, ataraxis, athenakitty, Mystic Phoenix, ShadowedHand, Ms. Padfoot, Heart of the Wizard, Virginia Riddle-Malfoy, Sakura Saisaka, Vyxagallanxchi, Alynna Lis Eachann, gaul1, Wren Truesong, Lucky, Werinaya, whydoyouneedtoknow, Persephone Lupin, shamanogler, mad about harry, Ezmerelda.

If you want some Holiday entertainment, last year I wrote a Harry Potterized Christmas Carol when I was more in a Chrismassy mood. Happy Holidays.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Sorry to keep you waiting, my life is a spin cycle right now.

**Chapter 13** (uploaded 2/25/05)

Finally, all the owls had gone from the tree. They only stayed around long enough to determine an unsuccessful delivery and disappointedly returned to their respective owners. Snape paced the tree limb as he worked on a plan to get Potter and himself back to Hogwarts. He glanced up and looked around for his young friend, spotting him on one of the highest twigs. The silly bird just hung by his beak like a black sock on a clothesline, swaying with the breeze. "What's that about?" he shook his head and went back to pacing the limb. "I have got to get him back to his wizard form as soon as possible." Severus's concentration and pigeon-toed pacing was interrupted by cracks of apparition.

Lucius Malfoy and his wife, Narcissa, had been summoned to the house. Snape took to the sky and flew silently overhead to follow them to the front door, which was eventually answered by Bellatrix. Lucius walked right in and nodded once to Bella, who wrinkled her nose at her sister. Oddly, Narcissa greeted Bella with an equally wrinkled nose.

Snape circled the house high overhead, occasionally diving for a glance into a window. He eventually found everybody gathered in the dining room. Peter Pettigrew must have snuck back into the house as a rat and was serving Voldemort. He was back to his normal coloration, though his clothes looked rattier and more faded. Snape landed on the bush outside one of the first floor windows to listen in on the conversation.

Lord Voldemort sat down first. "Mrs. Malfoy, thank you for joining us today. I apologize for interrupting your shopping trip. May I call you Narcissa?"

Narcissa replied. "My husband tells me this meeting concerns my son."

Voldemort nodded and continued, "Yes, I'd like to take him on as an apprentice."

Harry had seen his big brother flying overhead and he hurried to join him in the air, only to be lead back down. Outside the window, Harry had landed next to Snape. "Shh, be quiet," Snape hissed in raven tones.

Harry coo'd back, "I saw you flying and doing some really cool dives. I thought you might want to play now."

"Go away, I'm busy right now," he said, curtly.

"What are we doing? Are we spying?" Harry looked through the window. "Oo, the Malfoys." He listened for a bit and gasped, "Draco? A Death Eater apprentice? You have to apprentice to be a Death Eater?"

"Lower your voice," Snape growled. "I apprenticed my last two years at Hogwarts before I took the mark."

"Yes," Voldemort continued. "I have, at the moment, lost my spy at Hogwarts. And although I hadn't told him yet, Severus was to be my main recruiter at the school for this upcoming war."

Narcissa sniffed at the food on her fork and set it down without tasting. "Why are you making this offer to me, rather than to my son? I'm sure my husband and my sister would have told you I prefer to be a neutral bystander and not have any knowledge of this."

"Narcissa, in a war, there is no such thing as a neutral bystander." Voldemort's red eyes flashed. "I'm sure your husband and your sister would have told you by now what happens to people who decline my offers." After a few bites of food, he continued, "Lucius informs me that his letters to your son have been returned unopened and unread, while yours are getting through and you are getting replies. I would like you to relay my offer to him."

"Maybe if you occasionally sent your letter with a package of sweets, he might accept delivery. I've trained him to write gracious thank you notes. He does it almost automatically now."

Bellatrix pushed her food around her plate and said lazily, "I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, Narcissa, you spoil that boy."

Snape smirked, "Yes, she does. But she has his devotion."

Harry snorted, "She paid for that devotion, he doesn't do it just because she's his mother. My cousin, Dudley, is that way."

As they listened, the bush under the other window started rustling. "What's that?" Harry asked, curiosity drawing his attention away from the room. Unfortunately, the occupants of the dining room also heard the noise .

"Fly now!" Snape screeched as his wings carried him into the air.

"I'm caught!" Harry squawked. He had jumped into the air and was right behind his companion. Snape turned to watch Harry get pulled backwards into someone's hand.

"That's it, little bird, make noise and flap your wings," the female voice whispered. Harry caught a glimpse of Tonks' face as she recovered herself with an invisibility cloak. It had slipped off as she was attacked by an army of ants and involuntarily jumped to scratch and brush off the mini pests. She held onto Harry's talons to make it look like he was sitting on top of the bush making all the noise.

Snape circled overhead and said out loud, "Potter, how do you manage to find trouble so easily? Even Sirius Black had to work very hard at it."

"This isn't my fault!" Harry screeched back.

Lucius opened the window and stuck his head out. He called back into the room, "It's just a bird. Severus's baby raven has managed to tangle himself in the bush."

"Bring him in," Voldemort ordered.

"Damn, hoped he wouldn't say that," Harry cried.

"Damn, hoped he wouldn't say that," Lucius huffed.

"Settle down, Bird. Ow! I'm trying to free you, damn it!" Tonks let go of Harry's leg, allowing him to fly only a yard before Lucius called, "Accio raven!" The poor little raven, was once again summoned backwards, this time into Lucius' hands. After inspecting the band on his leg, he said, "Hello, Munin. Looking for your master?" Harry squawked his displeasure at being manhandled. "So are we." Lucius presented the raven to Lord Voldemort.

"There's no message," Voldemort stated.

"Professor Snape!" Harry called for help.

"Perhaps he is looking for his master," Pettigrew suggested, turning toward the raven with a curious look on his face.

"Dammit, I think the animagus can understand us," Snape thought. He was back outside the window to keep an eye on Harry.

"Conjure a cage for the bird," Voldemort ordered to nobody in particular. "We might be able to use him later."

"No!" Snape whispered harshly.

"No," Harry whimpered, as he was forced into his new cage.

Lucius lead his wife into another room for a private chat. Voldemort asked again, "Any progress in finding Severus?"

"Snape! I want Snape!" Harry raged in his cage, "SNAPE!"

"It seems all he wants is Snape," Pettigrew wiggled a finger in Harry's cage, allowing Harry to lunge at it for a bite, but missed.

"Stop that, Wormtail," Bellatrix hissed while covering her ears, "you're just winding him up."

Bellatrix answered her master, "My Lord, we've tried several methods and we can't find him anywhere."

"Give me your arm, Bella," Voldemort ordered. She stuck out her left arm and the pale, red-eyed wizard to touch it with his wand to summon Severus Snape once again.

Snape felt a tingling in his left wing, it wasn't too bothersome. However he was hit with another migraine for the duration of the summons. "Ugh," he groaned and fell to the ground under the bush, "I'm here, damn it." He hopped atop the bush again when the pain faded. "Not too bad, I suppose," Snape mumbled to himself, "it probably doesn't last too long because I'm already here."

"It'ssssssss YOU!" Nagini slithered out from under Voldemort's chair, climbed up the table leg, and curled herself around the raven's cage, which sat at the edge of the dining room table. "You made me sick."

"Easy, Nagini," Voldemort said in parseltongue, "don't strain yourself. You haven't enough strength to digest the bird just yet." Nagini was wrapped three or four times around the cage and tried to squeeze, but Voldemort was right. She put her head down to rest, keeping an eye on the little raven. Harry was scared. He squawked and cried and screeched, hoping the his volume would irritate everyone.

Feeling impotent, Snape watched from the window as a silver cage was conjured around his little raven brother. He felt, through their bond, how scared the little guy was when Voldemort's snake wrapped herself around the cage to crush it.

"Something is bothering you, my Lord," Malfoy Sr. asked after showing his wife out of the house.

"Lucius, search the grounds again. My spell isn't lingering. It's as if Severus is somewhere around here. He might be nursing his wounds in some dark shadow. Bella, Wormtail, pick up Nagini. We're moving to the basement. Somebody do something about the bird. Make it shut up." The faithful Death Eaters grit their teeth and carried the big snake out of the room. Lucius covered the cage with a black cloak.

Once they were out of the room, Snape jumped to the other bush and started attacking it. "Stupid, clumsy girl! Idiot! Dunderhead! Nincompoop! You fool!"

Tonks fell out of the bush, waving the invisibility cloak at the big black bird, who somehow had known she was there. "Shoo! Get away from me," she shrieked softly. But then the raven attacked her again and again. "Damn bird, you blew my cover," she cursed as she ran toward the apple orchard for cover. "Damn the anti-apparition wards, too."

Lucius Malfoy came around the corner, "Severus? Is that you? Come out, we have your bird. You can use the potions lab here." The blonde Death Eater held his hands on his hips, "I could have sworn I heard his voice." He looked up as Severus cawed from the air, and snickered to himself, "Hmm, another raven. I wonder if that's an omen of death."

Rabastan Lestrange walked up behind him, "Of course it is, you wanker, and we're the cause of the deaths. He called us back again."

"I'm tired of searching the grounds. His Lordship is in the basement nursing that stupid snake," Lucius scoffed as they turned and went back into the house.

Severus landed in the tree above the pink-haired auror. Tonks gave her report while she shook out the invisibility cloak. "What happened?" Remus Lupin asked. "You weren't there very long."

"I was attacked by an army of ants and made too much noise when I tried to brush them off," Tonks reported to her partners.

"Well, you're still alive," retired auror Mad-Eye Moody stepped out from behind a tree. He kept his hat over his head, and the brim down, his magical eye was fixed on the big black bird above them. "But you were followed."

Tonks looked up in time to watch Snape drop an apple on her head, "OW! The stupid bird followed me." She picked up the apple and threw it at the raven. He didn't budge. It hit the trunk and the bird seemed to laugh. Awk-awk-awk-awk.

"Forget the bird. Did you find out anything?" Moody urged.

"Right. They're going to enlist Malfoy's son, who is at Hogwarts. They can't find Snape anywhere and need an informant and recruiter there. That's when I noticed how itchy my legs had gotten. It was just ants, but I panicked and made too much noise when I tried to brush them off. They heard me from inside and when the two ravens flew off, I summoned the smaller one into my hand to make it seem like he was the source of the original noise and found out later it was Snape's familiar. We might have been able to use it to find him. The bird was caught and brought into the house." Just then Snape dropped another couple apples onto Tonks' head. Lupin covered his mouth to hide his laugh. Quickly and smoothly, Tonks whipped around with her wand drawn and blasted the limb that Snape was perched on.

The raven flew away, but Remus pulled her hand down before she could get off another spell. Looking at Moody, Lupin asked, "Have you ever seen a greasier black bird?"

"I think I might have seen that bird before, now that you mention it," Mad-eye cracked a smile.

"What are you two talking about?" Tonks growled in frustration. "I am NOT having a good day, and you two look like cats who swallowed canaries."

"You did well, Tonks. We can continue this discussion at Headquarters," Moody pulled his hat down and quietly disapparated.

- ooOoo -

Professor Dumbledore sat in his office sipping a cup of tea while sorting through some paperwork. An eagle owl flew through the window and landed on his desk, its wingspan nearly knocking one or two gadgets off his desk. It flew off as soon as the note was untied from its leg, not waiting around for a reply. After reading, the tired old wizard threw floo powder into the fireplace, announced "Professor Hagrid," and stuck his head into the flames.

"'ello there Perfesser Dumbledore. I was just 'aving a spot 'o tea wi' Hermione and Ron. What can I do fer ye?" Hagrid moved from the table to in front of the fireplace.

"Hello Ron, hello Hermione. Sorry to cut your visit short, but Hagrid, would you please accompany Mr. Malfoy into Hogsmeade? His parents would like a visit."

"Yes sir, I'll get righ' on it."

Hagrid turned around from where he knelt and stood up, "I hope yer both feeling better about Harry. Thanks for visitin' bu' I got work t' do now. I know what you kids heard. Don't go followin' me into Hogsmeade in that invisibility cloak. I'll be lookin' out."

Ron's red head bobbed up and down, "Sure Hagrid. Thanks for tea."

"No problem, Hagrid, we've got homework to do, anyway," Hermione practically drug Ron from Hagrid's shack.

Down in the dungeons, Draco had his wand in the little window of the potions storage room while Crabbe and Goyle stood guard at either end of the hallway. He was summoning a vial, as he had caught Harry doing. He had successfully guided another one through the window and into his hand when Crabbe called, "Someone's coming! Oh, it's just Hagrid."

"Ahh, there ye are, Malfoy. Yer parents have requested a meeting with you in Hogsmeade. Dumbledore asked me to deliver you to the Three Broomsticks. Run up and get yer cloak, it's a bit breezy this evening."

"Just me? Can Crabbe and Goyle come, too?"

"Sorry, Mr. Malfoy. You're th' only one wi' permission to go into Hogsmeade tonight. I'll wait righ' here fer ya."

The three boys went into the Slytherin dormitories together. "How many were you able to get?" Goyle asked.

"Just one and an antidote, but I have one from the other night."

"What do you think they want?"

"Mother said something about an apprenticeship but I don't know why my father would be there, too. He's supposed to be in hiding."

"You gonna take the mark if you're offered?" Goyle asked.

"Damn, my dad said if you turn down the offer, He kadavers you on the spot," Crabbe shook his head. "After what you told us, I don't want to join, but I'd be too scared to say _No_."

"I don't know. I just want to graduate first and have a great gap year before I decide what I want to do."

"Well, I might not take my NEWTS," Crabbe's shoulders dropped. "I'm not making the grades now."

"It's not that bad, Vince," Goyle patted his friend on the back. "we do good enough to stay on the Quidditch team."

Crabbe shrugged, "Yeh, but only as long as Professor Snape is our head of house."

"Get a room! You guys are making me sick." Draco grabbed his school cloak roughly.

"But we're in our room, Draco," Goyle looked up at the blonde.

"Ugh! I'm out of here. If I'm lucky, Father will kill me quickly and get it over with. Or maybe Mother will let me transfer to Durmstrang. Yes, that would be cool."

"Hey," Crabbe called Draco back, "aren't we going to be ravens and fly away anymore?"

"Change of plans. I'll see you later," Draco sulked all the way to Hogsmeade as he walked with Hagrid.

Hermione and Ron huddled in the janitor's closet watching the little dots on the Marauder's map move around the castle. "Uh oh, Dumbledore and McGonagall are headed this way," Hermione pointed her wand to the two dots, "Mischief managed. Nox." Her wand light went out.

"I've got an idea," Ron whispered. He mussed up his hair and did the same to Hermione's.

"Ron, stop that!" Hermione squealed.

Suddenly the door flew open and flooded the dark closet with a bright light. A man cleared his throat. "Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger, that'll be enough," the Scottish accent pierced their ears. "You are Gryffindor prefects, you must set an example for your underclassmen. Out here, the both of you."

"Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore! Nothing happened, I swear," Hermione stuttered. Her face was a red as Ron's, who would not bring his eyes up to Dumbledore's.

"I believe you, Miss Granger. Mr. Weasley, these are Harry's things. Would you do me the favor of returning it to his footlocker? I was on my way to do it myself, but you're going in that direction anyway."

"Yes, sir," he managed to squeak.

"Professor, any news from Harry?" Hermione queried.

"I'm afraid I have no news," the headmaster said wearily.

The two Griffindors ran toward their tower, passing their corridor and continuing on. Puzzled, Hermione followed him wordlessly into the owlry, where he opened the bag. He pulled out the unlabeled vial, "What do you think this is?"

"Hmm," Hermione's brows furrowed, but she shook her head, "dunno." Meanwhile, Hedwig and Pig fluttered down to the student's shoulders, hoping for some news, too.

"This is his robe and invisibility cloak and wand!" Ron exclaimed. "He's running around naked and wandless?"

"Oh, Harry, he's probably a bird again. I bet Malfoy's in on it. But we don't know if the vial is the transformation potion or the antidote. We've got to squeeze that Malfoy for information. Let's go to Hogsmeade. Do you know how to use the map access the passageways?"

"Uh, sure, Harry told me how he does it. And the twins have told me about some of their adventures, too."

Pig looked at Hedwig, "Harry's in trouble, isn't he?"

"I don't know, dear," Hedwig hooted. "I'm going to follow them into Hogsmeade."

The two adventurers made their way to the ally adjacent to the Three Broomsticks tavern in Hogsmeade. Peering into a window, they found Hagrid sitting at the bar sipping a large flagon of ale. The Malfoys were nowhere to be found. Ron whispered, "Levitate me," pointing to the second floor windows.

Hermione nodded, "Wingardium Leviosa." With a swish and a flick of her wand, Ron rose to the second level and pulled the invisibility cloak over his head. From below, the bushy-haired bookworm could see her partner's feet dangling past the hem of the cloak. The next she heard him whisper, "Down! Down!"

"Found him?"

"Yeh, Malfoy's father is making him join the Death Eaters as an apprentice until he finishes school."

"Oooh, that bastard!"

"But Draco doesn't want to be a Death Eater. He said he saw his father groveling at his Master's feet, and Vo-Vo (sigh) Voldemort's a half-blood."

"Harry's told us all this before."

"Yah, but Malfoy's seen it for himself. He's too good to grovel for anyone, let alone anyone who's not a pureblood. He got slapped down and was told he'd better get his priorities straight or die, in not as many words. Anyway, they captured Harry, only they know it as Snape's raven. They're looking for Snape and something about a snake with a nosebleed."

Hedwig had been observing from the roof and heard Ron's report. She flew off as somebody approached the alley. Noticing birds fly off, they ducked under the invisibility cloak and shuffled toward the shadows.

"I told ye' Draco, there's nobody here but bloody owls," Hagrid was heard to say.

"Okay, Hagrid, why don't you go back and finish your ale. I just want to pop into Honeydukes and I'll be right back."

"Hmm," Hagrid looked longingly through the tavern door at his empty seat and half-finished ale, "alright, wizard's honor? You're only going to Honeyduke's and you'll come back straightaway?"

"Wizard's honor," Malfoy said in his most sincere voice.

"Alright, then, go on."

Ron and Hermione followed the blonde student to the sweet shoppe. Draco kept looking back over his shoulder as if he knew he was being followed, but seeing nothing, he would continue on his way. The shop bell tinkled when he opened the door. Focused on his purchase, he didn't notice that the door took a little longer to close behind him. "Hi there," he addressed the shopkeeper, "do you carry these sweets? He pulled a couple wrappers from his pocket."

The proprietor put his reading glasses on, " 'Fraid I don't. Ah, here's their mark, WWW. Try Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in Diagon Alley. Can I get you anything from here?"

"Weasley," Draco growled. "Yeh, sure. Half dozen of your best chocolate bars and a dozen sugar quills." Draco pulled out his coins and threw them onto the counter.

As he walked back toward the Three Broomsticks, he was pulled into a narrow alley and pinned to the wall. Hermione stepped back with the cloak to expose the redhead, yet keep herself hidden. Ron had his wand in Draco's face.

"What do you want? Either choke me, stab me or hex me, either way stop breathing on me and get your wand out of my nose!"

"What was that wrapper? What do you want with Weasley's Wheezes?"

"What the hell, you wouldn't believe me anyway. Professor Snape was in trouble. In case you haven't realized by now, he's my godfather. Potter used some sweets from a Skivving Snackbox to heal Professor Snape. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has a pet snake who got sick. I'll be in His good graces if I make it better."

"I thought you didn't want to be a Death Eater."

"Spying on me, are you, Weasel? Where's your Mudblood sidekick? OOOF!" Malfoy doubled over as Hermione punched him in the ribs.

Ron rolled his eyes and whispered, "Stop that!"

"Malfoy!" Hagrid called.

"Here, sir!" Draco smirked at Ron. "I found someone who shouldn't be off school grounds." But before the half-giant came into view, Hermione threw the cloak over Ron and they disappeared into the sweet shoppe. "Damn."

"There ye are, ye don't 'ave t' eat yer sweets by yerself. You're in Hogsmeade w' permission."

"Granger and Weasley were here. She hit me!"

"Well, I don' see anyone now."

"Of course not, they're invisible!" Draco huffed as he realized how childish he was sounding.

"Righ' Mebbe ye ate too much sugar. Why don' you come off yer sugar high before ye say anythin' more, eh?"

- ooOoo -

Later in the owlry, Hermione had several owls in front of her and was trying to decide which owl to use for a package delivery. "There you are," Draco growled. "I owe you for hitting me. Nobody gets away with hitting me."

Hermione snorted, "Really, I heard you cried when Daddy smacked you across the face."

"Weasel's lying. Hey, those are the sweets I was looking for."

"I'm sending it to Harry or to Professor Snape, if they're together. But I can't use Hedwig and Pig's too noisy. Errol would take too long, and a school owl…"

"Forget it, Granger. Use my owl." Draco held up his arm and his eagle owl swooped down from his perch.

"How do I know you won't send it somewhere else? I'm giving a verbal command, I'm not writing down its addressee."

"Look, any other owl might attract attention. Where he's going, my owl wouldn't be look out of place."

"Fine. One more question, though." Hermione pulled out the vial that was in Harry's pouch. "What is this?"

"None of your business."

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she pursed her lips at the answer she got. "Hedwig, follow Draco's owl and make sure the package gets to Harry. Be careful, constant vigilance." The snowy white owl hooted her understanding.

Once the school rivals left the room, Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows with a twinkle in his eye and smile under his beard.

- ooOoo -

_To be continued..._

A/N: I can't say it enough, thank you for your reviews. Shout outs to all who reviewed: Silverthreads, starangel2106, whydoyouneedtoknow, athenakitty, Mystic Phoenix, E.A.V., Ezmerelda, gilly131, Creature of the Night, Larail, tall oaks, ShadowedHand, sakura saisaka, Vyxagallanxchi, MajinBakaHentai, Wren Truesong, Hellfire Ashwolf, Sweet Murder, Dude, Ms. Padfoot.

_Dude_: I'm writing every day, but I was looking for a good stopping point without such a steep cliffhanger.

_whydoyouneedtoknow_: Why do you need to know? It's old news now.

_EAV_: But the owls were a hoot!

_ShadowedHand_: Yeh, Severus gets a little grumpy because he keeps getting a headache whenever ol' Moldy Voldy tries to summon him.

_Sweet Murder_: Yup, I'm sure this isn't a slash fic. Not even a Crabbe/Goyle slash fic. (Shudders)


	14. Chapter 14

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: I feel guilty enough for leaving you hanging for so long.

**Chapter 14** (uploaded 6/17/05)

Hedwig followed Draco's owl to the unplottable Death Eater headquarters. As the eagle owl landed in front of the dining room window, Hedwig spotted the big black raven in the shadow of his tree and landed next to him. "Hello, Professor."

Snape's shiny black head popped up from the nest. "Hedwig, you remember me," Snape said with a sigh. He turned his head as the eagle owl tapped on the window pane for attention.

"Of course, Professor. I had the whole summer to get to know you. Where's my Harry? I feel his proximity, but I don't see him."

"There, through the window. He's in a cage, covered by the black cloak. He's finally calm, but he was a right royal panic earlier, when the Dark Lord's snake wrapped himself around the cage."

"Oh, Harry, what have you gotten into this time," Hedwig hooted softly.

"What brings you here, Hedwig?" Snape asked.

"Hermione has sent a package with Malfoy's owl and had me follow him to make sure it got delivered properly," Hedwig stated. "She only verbally addressed it, to you or to Harry, and told me to stay out of sight."

Snape noticed the window opening. Lucius could be heard drawling, "Well, what have we here? My son is sending me sweets?"

Draco's owl screeched as he flew out of reach of the senior Malfoy, "Hey, that's not your mail!"

Hedwig flew into action toward the commotion. "I can't let the package get misdelivered!" she screeched.

Snape followed the white snowy owl through the open window, also screeching, "Harry, get ready to fly!"

Lucius Malfoy soon found himself fighting off three birds with flailing arms. As soon as he whipped out his wand, Snape attached himself to the stick and started pecking and biting at the hand that held it. Between yelling obscenities and throwing out curses, his spells were being misfired all over the room.

"Lucius, what's all the racket about," Voldemort called out, as Death Eaters came rushing into the dining room. Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband ran in first and found themselves on the receiving end of a _petrificus totalus_ spell. Peter Pettigrew ran in behind them and just managed to dodge a spell that ended up setting a chair on fire.

"Damn," Snape croaked, "missed the little rat." The big raven was flung into the eagle owl, knocking it into unconsciousness. "Humph, got him!"

Harry started screeching, too, "What's going on? Someone let me out of here!"

"I'm coming, Harry!" Hedwig cried, as she successfully avoided a spell. But Peter reached the cage before Hedwig did and yanked off the black cloak. Unfortunately, the movement pulled the cage off the end of the table, sending it crashing to the floor.

Hedwig watched as Pettigrew threw the cloak over Snape and Malfoy's owl and decided the best thing to do was to get Harry out of the house, so she grabbed the cage with all her might and flew out the window with it. Landing in the apple orchard, she set down on the ground, before collapsing on top of it from exhaustion.

It was dark when Hedwig woke up. The door to the cage had been damaged when the cage fell and Harry was injured. "Harry? Wake up, love," Hedwig hooted urgently. "Harry, no! Please be alive, oh please be alive," she prayed, as she tugged on the cage door with all her might. Finally the cage rolled and the little raven fell half-way through the door.

"Hedwig?" Harry moaned, "I'm thirsty."

"Thank the gods," Hedwig sniffed, "that's a good sign."

"Owww, I can't move my wings, and my head hurts" he started to hyperventilate.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll find help for you. Slow your breathing, dear. It's going to be alright." Hedwig paced in front of her baby raven. "First things, first. I'm going to move you into a tree where it's safer from predators. Then I'm going to find water for you while I figure out the next step. Ready?" Harry's eyes watered from the pain, but he managed to nod his head, just before slipping into unconsciousness.

Harry woke up in his nest, under Hedwig's wing, as she tried to feed him water from a leaf. "Wake up, Harry," she nudged. "That's my big bird, take a little sip. Yes, there you go."

Harry nuzzled into Hedwig's comforting breast, "I'm not a baby, Hedwig. But thank you."

From the tree, they could hear Lucius raging inside the house, though they couldn't make out exactly what he was yelling or who he was yelling at.

"Harry," Hedwig hooted. "I'm afraid I can't carry you all the way back to Hogwarts. London is closer. There's a place there which specializes in injured ravens."

Harry put his head down and yawned, "Whatever you think best, Hedwig. I trust you."

----- ooOoo -----

Severus's fight ended when the cloak was thrown over himself and the owl. All the yelling stopped, all he could hear from under the black cloth was panting and hissing. 'Hissing! It's the snake!' Panic started to set in as he imagined getting swallowed whole, and he started flapping his wings, trying to get free. Suddenly, the cloth closed in all around him. The blood rushed to his head, he growled as he as turned upside-down.

"Enervate!" he could hear Lucius saying. The eagle owl screeched as it awoke. "Silencio!" After some scratching, he heard instructions. "Deliver this to Headmaster Dumbledore. I want a reply, understand? Oh, hell. Finite incantatum!" The owl managed a weak "meep" before it flew out the window.

"Rudolphus, get ready. If Dumbledore doesn't deliver my son to me, we're going in and getting him. What the hell is he thinking by sending candy?"

"What shall we do with the raven, Lucius?" Pettigrew asked, waving the black bundle in the air.

"Kill it," Malfoy scowled, "I've had it up to here with ravens and bloody birds!" He drew a line in the air at the level of his neck.

"I'll take it," Bellatrix volunteered. "I'll pound the hell out of it and feed it to Nagini." The makeshift bag of raven whimpered as if it understood what was being said.

Peter thought for a moment, "No, it's okay. Snakes have to swallow their food live. I need to practice the killing curse, anyway." He practically ran out of the room as the raven in the bag started croaking.

"Pettigrew! Um, I mean, Peter…err, Wormtail. Don't kill me. I think you can understand me, I know you're an animagus. I'm a wizard. Let me go, I'll make it up to you. Do you hear me?"

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued…_

A/N: Special thanks and owl treats to everyone who reviewed: EAV, Silverthreads, excessivelyperky, Yzliose, Serena R. Snape, Ms. Padfoot, Wren Truesong, the musician, ShadowedHand, shadow, sakura saisaka, Ezmerelda, HarrySlytherinson, Vyxagallanxchi, Stahchild, abraxis, Sweet-single, Elsa2, Pleione, Qem, zafaran, Icestar4621 (twice!), Princess Arica of Rivendell, Nenya, Bekah17.

I think I'll blame Arica and Beckah17 for getting on my case to update. It's their fault this chapter is short and has two cliffhangers. Yeh, that's it, that's the ticket. (wink) Seriously, I didn't want you to think I had fallen off the planet and abandoned my stories. Real life has been very busy these past few months. But I notice it's not just me, the stories which I follow have been slow to update, too. Perhaps muses have gone on strike?

_Abraxis_: Thanks for reading and reviewing all my stories. That was a happy happy day.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Chapter 15** (uploaded 7/26/05)

Peter Pettigrew ran with his "talking" raven to an unused bedroom of the mansion. Once there, he carefully removed each layer of cloth which covered the bird, in case it would attack him. To his surprise, once it was uncovered, it just sat on top of the cloak, on the bed. "Thank you," Snape bowed his head.

"Who are you?"

"Call me Hugin."

"You said you were a wizard. What's your real name?" Wormtail prodded the bird.

"I think I will keep that to myself, for now."

"Are you an animagus?"

"No. At the moment, the ability to transform is beyond my capabilities."

Wormtail tapped his chin as he thought about it. Then he waived his wand and performed the incantation to bring an animagus back into his wizarding form. The raven glowed blue for a half-second, but nothing happened. "I told you I wasn't an animagus."

"What are you doing here? You're a spy, aren't you," Peter accused.

"No, the raven you had earlier is my little brother, Munin. I was merely trying to free him."

"I see. Well, you said you could do something for me. What can you do?"

"I know you're looking for a couple wizards. One of your own and a boy."

"Severus Snape and Harry Potter," Wormtail confirmed.

"You would be a hero if you could present them to your master, would you not?" the greasy raven offered.

Wormtail sat on the bed next to the black bird and put his chin on his fists to think about it, "Hmm. Tempting."

"Don't think about it too long, someone's bound to check up on us soon enough. If we're just going to sit around, you might as well get us something to eat. Call a house elf, I'm starving." Snape suggested.

Peter sighed, "I _am_ the house elf. I get no respect around here."

Lucius stormed through the house, dragging his son behind him, "Wormtail! Where are you?" Finally he arrived at the right bedroom and threw open the door. "Have you killed that damn bird yet?"

"Whoops, you took to long to decide," the greasy, black bird tossed its head back.

"No," came the red-faced reply, "I'm thinking of keeping him. He's rather pleasant to talk to." Severus sat calmly on the bed and noticed Draco behind the two adults. Draco's eyes widened as he recognized the raven on the bed.

"He's what? Get out, Wormtail. I only wish I knew what the Dark Lord sees in you. Draco! Boy, get in here." Lucius pointed at the bird. "That is now your bird. I want you to practice the unforgivable curses on it. Start with imperius, then crucio, and finally the killing curse. It better be dead by the time I check on you in the morning. Good night." The senior Malfoy pushed Wormtail out of the room and slammed the door shut.

Draco yelled at the door, "Hey! You want me to sleep in a room where I killed?"

"YES!" was the muffled reply. Draco stomped his foot and stuck his tongue out at the door.

"Hi, Uncle Severus." Draco swatted the old black cloak off the bed and onto the floor. When he plopped down on the bed, it popped Snape up into the air. The bird fluttered softly onto the teen's stomach. "Did you get my package?" Snape nodded. "Where is it?" Snape lifted his wings in a shrug.

Draco spotted a spider in the corner of the ceiling. "Imperio! Come down here, spider." The spider marched down the wall, and stopped on the floor in the middle of the room. Draco sat up in bed and smirked, "This isn't too hard, eh? Crucio!" The spider trembled in its place, before collapsing. Snape didn't like it, but he could he do? He hopped onto Draco's shoulder and paced back and forth. "Stop that, you're making me crazy."

"Alohomora," came a voice from the other side of the door. In anticipation, Draco stood up and pointed his wand.

Wormtail came in holding a tray of sandwiches and pumpkin juice. "Don't curse me," he teased. "Unforgivable curses take a lot out of a wizard."

"Thanks, who are you?" Draco asked, as he put away his wand and took the tray. Snape walked down Draco's arm and started pecking at some bread crust.

"Everyone calls me Wormtail," Pettigrew answered. "Do you know who that is?"

Draco narrowed his eyes and lied, "No, do you?"

"He calls himself Hugin," Wormtail replied. Draco snorted a laugh, but at the bird's squawk, the sixteen year-old stuffed half a sandwich into his mouth so he wouldn't give himself away. He could only manage, then, to nod at Wormtail. "He says he's a wizard, but he won't tell me his real name." Snape clicked his beak several times and was rewarded with a cucumber.

"And you talk to birds all the time, right?" Draco smirked.

"Don't get cheeky," Wormtail growled.

"Say, do you know what happened to that package of sweets I sent by owl?"

"Yeh, I dug it out of the rubbish," Peter tossed it over, still wrapped as tight as when it was sent. "If you sent it as a joke, your father didn't find it funny at all."

"Oh, so that's why he fetched me from school. No, it was meant for Uncle Severus." Draco tossed the package onto the bed.

"Uncle?"

"Yeh, didn't you know, he's my godfather. Have you seen him?"

"We're still looking for him. But it's interesting that your owl delivered the package to this house."

"Yeh," Draco said lazily, "I'll bet he's probably somewhere in this house. What's that hissing noise? It sounds like it's coming down the hall." Snape's head popped up from the sandwich it was buried in and flew up to perch on Draco's head. "Ow, your claws are sharp!"

"Sounds like Nagini got away from the ice bath again. We've been keeping her temperature down to slow the bleeding." Wormtail rolled his eyes and walked into the hallway. He returned holding the big snake's tail, while Voldemort held its head.

"Draco Malfoy, I'm glad you decided to listen to your father and start training," Voldemort smiled and flashed his red beady eyes dangerously. "What have you accomplished so far?"

The blonde Hogwarts student looked around on the floor and pointed at the twitchy spider that had crawled to the corner. "I was just warming up on the Imperius curse and the Cruciatus curse when Wormtail brought me a snack." Draco put a pleasant smile on his face.

"What about the bird?" They watched as the raven jumped down to the bed and tugged on the string around the package.

"I like the bird," Draco exclaimed, "it's pretty smart. See? It's already picked out a sweet for me." SQUAWK, it shook its head. "For Wormtail?" SQUAWK! It shook its head again. "For Nagini!" The raven bobbed it's head and flew with the candy to Draco's hand. Malfoy unwrapped the Nosebleed Nougat and pinched off the nosebleed half with his fingers, like he'd seen Potter do in the gardener's shack. As he bent to give the candy to the snake, the black bird thought he was getting bit too close to the snake's mouth and flew up to Wormtail's balding head.

The snake swallowed the candy and immediately stopped bleeding. "Brilliant!" Voldemort declared, much to Lucius's pleasure. He and Bellatrix had come down to the room and witnessed Nagini's recovery. "What can I do for you, Draco?"

"I'd like to keep the raven to do with as I please," Draco decided.

Right before Snape flew back to Draco's shoulder, he whispered to Wormtail, "I told you I could help you get in the good graces of your master." Wormtail huffed quietly and walked out the door.

"Fine. We'll find you something else to torture. Rest well tonight, you've earned it." Voldemort left the room, followed by Nagini under her own power.

Lucius turned and pointed at Draco, "You'll kill the bird, if you know what's good for you. Mark my words, boy, don't get attached to it."

"Yes, Father," Draco nodded curtly. Balanced on his godson's shoulder, Snape bowed to Lucius with a glint in his eyes. Lucius merely turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

Once everyone was out of his room, Draco whispered to the raven, "Are you ready to transform?" Snape bobbed his head affirmatively, then turned to pull a feather off his back.

AWK! That hurt. He did another. AWK!

"Oh, come on, this will take all night," Draco said impatiently. He put the bird down in the middle of the floor and placed his hand over its back, then yanked off a handful of tail feathers. Out of instinct, Snape attacked the Death Eater apprentice. In self-defense, Draco shielded and fired off some repelling charms against the bird, but was giggling all the same. "Petrificus…"

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Lucius was fuming but kept his voice dangerously low, "You are not here to play with the bird. Kill it already!"

"But you said to torture it first," Draco said, as he threw the black cloak over the bird and the plucked feathers. "Leave me to it already! I'll have something for you by morning." Lucius scowled and slammed the door behind him as he left the room and stomped down the hallway with heavy feet. Before any more interruptions, Draco pulled the small vial from the inside pocket of his robes and fell to his knees with the cloak in front of him.

"Shh," Draco whispered as he slowly pulled the black cloth away. He uncorked the vial and tipped it into the bird's mouth as he gargled all the potion down.. Snape clicked his beak once and put his head down for a nap. Before the transformation occurred, Draco moved Snape and the cloak to the bed. He piled the black feathers in the center of the room and spent a few minutes decorating the room with scorch marks before he laid down, himself.

Snape woke up first the next morning, curled at the foot of the bed with a pounding headache. Running his fingers through his straight shoulder-length hair, he felt the patches of hair missing from the back of his head. "Draco, wake up," he shook the pale teen at the other end of the mattress.

"Stop it, Crabbe, I just want a few more minutes with her," he mumbled into the pillow.

"Draco," Snape called a bit louder, "let me borrow your wand."

"Huh?" the sleepy teen started. "Oh, I was having a dream. I was back at Hogwarts and…"

"I really don't want to hear it," Snape said blankly. "I need to borrow your mirror and wand." Snape sat now at the edge of the bed with his back to Draco, who was having a hard time suppressing his snickers.

Snape snatched the wand and mirror from Draco, almost as soon as the items were pulled out of his robes. Silently, he charmed his hair length back to normal and returned the items. "Have you ever tried to do anything about the oiliness?" Draco asked carefully.

"There only so much I can do with my hair. It's quite stubborn. Get on your feet. You will have the honor of finding me in the gardener's shed. What happened to my wand, do you know?"

"Dumbledore took it from me," Draco yawned. "What time is it, anyway?" He never got an answer, as he was yanked off the bed by the scruff of his neck and herded down the hallway.

They were passing through the kitchen, when Snape noticed a cauldron simmering on the counter. He wafted the steam into his face, "Mmm, fresh headache potion." The potions master dropped a ladle full of potion into a goblet and was just blowing it cool.

"That is the Dark Lord's potion you're drinking," Lucius walked in on the other two.

"Surely he can spare mere ladle, Lucius. Do me a favor and cool it off for me, will you?"

Lucius waved his wand over the goblet that Snape held out. "Thank you."

"Where have you been? Both sides have been looking for you, and then some."

"How many sides are there in this war, Lucius?"

"Well, there's the ministry, too. You've been reported as missing."

"I was confunded and wandering naked through the apple grove," Severus said with a completely straight face. Lucius returned an equally straight face. "Seriously, that last bout of crucio almost put me in St. Mungo's permanently."

Draco had an incredulous look on his face. "How do you all know when to believe each other? Father, I found him sleeping in the gardener's shack. I went there for potion ingredients early this morning."

Snape quickly changed the subject. "Say, you haven't seen my little raven, have you? Goes by the name of Munin."

"Yes, speaking of ravens," Lucius looked at his son, "nice job on that bird up stairs. However, if you had used the killing curse, as I told you to do, you wouldn't have such a mess to clean up. Come along, now. I'll take you into the forest and we'll find some practice for you."

"I haven't had breakfast yet," Draco complained.

"Trust me, it's better that you haven't eaten yet," Snape left the Malfoys in the kitchen to report his presence to Lord Voldemort.

Several days later at Hogwarts, Draco was summoned to Professor Snape's office. Snape snapped the newspaper, the Daily Prophet, and folded it neatly on his desk before acknowledging Draco's arrival. "Well, let's see it then." Draco rolled up his left sleeve to display the Dark Mark on his arm.

"What about you?" Draco asked. "Did he believe you?"

"Yes. I'll be in good standing again, once I find Harry Potter."

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued…_

A/N: HBP did lots to re-energize my muse. Getting it written in my busy life is still a problem, but I just came off a one week vacation that allowed me to finish writing this chapter. I intended to have a quieter vacation so that I could finish the story, but that didn't work out. Thank you for your reviews: Qem, Silverthreads, E.A.V., Arica Princess of Rivendell, Ms. Padfoot, Heart of the Wizard, Wren Truesong, Werinaya, Ezmerelda, SnufflerMuffler, Nenya, MysticSong 1978, Bekah17, Yzliose, Susan Potter, Pleione, Lurk, and reseh. Watermelon sorbet to all my lovely reviewers to help them cool off. Geez, it was 120F in Las Vegas last week.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

A/N: Ezmerelda, Silverthreads, you're right I had an unconsious sprint to the end. I apologize in advance for this chapter not flowing from the last. It's meant to be parallel to the last chapter in the story's timeline and I'm not working out the technical knots and bumps, but at this point I'm just trying to grind out the story to the end because of demands on my time. Why is it time gets more valuable the older you get?

**Chapter 16** (uploaded 8/16/05)

The warm sun on his back woke Harry at dawn. He was having a dream that he was flying over England, in and out of low clouds, over the tops of the yellow, orange, and red trees of autumn. Still dreaming, he spread his wings as he felt the wind blowing through his feathers…OUCH! The pain snapped him out of the dream to find out he really was flying toward London, only Hedwig was holding him by his wings and provided the drive for the both of them. "Good morning, Harry. Feeling better?"

"My wings still hurt, but my head is better. How much longer?"

"Not much. There it is, the Tower of London."

"The Tower? You're bringing me to the tower?"

"Harry, they train the best Raven Masters in the country."

"You're just going to leave me there?"

"Nonsense. You'll be safe. The regiment there, the Beefeaters, will protect you."

"Hedwig, they're Muggles! They'll be no match for Death Eaters."

"Don't you worry, love. It will be fine. I'll come back for you when you're better. I know all the ravens who are there now, and they'll let me know how you're doing."

Ravenmaster Tubbs was just walking across the grounds toward the tower where the Royal Ravens were housed, when he spotted the snowy white owl landing on the plush green lawn with a young raven in its talons. He started running toward the birds as the owl had her wings spread and seemed to be nipping at the black bird's head. "Oi, get away! Scram!" he yelled at the white owl and waved his arms.

Hedwig announced, "Here we are, Harry." She gently laid her baby on the grass and spread her wings over the black lump of heathers as she pointed out some things out to Harry. "That's where I expect you'll be recuperating. They always keep six ravens and a spare."

"He's getting close Hedwig. I'll be okay. Thanks for everything." That's when Hedwig gently nipped at the tufts of black feathers around Harry's ears. Harry felt the rush of wind as Hedwig's large wings lifted her off the grass. She only flew to the top of the building to watch the Ravenmaster kneel and gently pick up her Harry. He cradled the bird to his chest and disappeared into the raven's tower.

"Hi there," the ravenmaster said softly, "my name is Tubbs. I'll take care of you. Did that mean old owl hurt you?" Harry croaked his irritation when Tubbs covered his head. Shortly, he was laid on a cold metal work table and inspected from head to toe. He snapped at the big fingers as the Ravenmaster tried to determine the sex of the new addition to the royal ravens. "Right, a bit ticklish, are we? Adolescent male," Tubbs said as he wrote into a notebook. "Ahh, someone has named you Munin. You're lucky. We already have a Hugine."

After more note taking, he spoke again. "Some bumps and bruises, but nothing broken." Harry relaxed and coo'd. "I think the nerves in your wing has been badly bruised in a nasty fall, that's why you can't fly. Maybe that owl wasn't so mean, after all, eh? I find no scratches or evidence of bites. What was she doing, kissing you goodbye?" Tubbs chuckled at his own joke. 'Yes, actually, she was,' Harry thought, cheekily.

Harry was placed into a cage on top of a bed of wood shavings. Knowing he couldn't fly, Tubbs left the door open. He seemed tame enough, but he was definitely in pain. Tubbs came back to feed the hungry young raven with a dropper. Tubbs' voice had a calming tone, and when Harry was full, he also started feeling sleepy. "There you are, I had some pain medication in your feed. I'll give you more when you awaken, Munin."

Harry was awaken, thinking he was being harassed by Dudley. But it was only the big old raven in the cage next to his. "Kid! Hey, kid, wake up!" Harry struggled to lift his head and blinked as he took in his new surroundings. "Finally, what'd Tubbs do to you, drug you?"

"Uh, yeh?" Harry tried to shake himself awake.

"They call me George. It's been so long now, I've forgotten what my real name is, not that it matters, I suppose. Do you remember what your mother named you?"

"Um, Harry. She called me Harry, but I've been renamed Munin." Potter saw no reason to keep this from the old bird. He climbed out of his cage and stumbled to a spot next to George's cage.

"Good, I'll call you Harry, just so that you don't forget. Most of the birds here were raised at the owl sanctuary up north, so they never knew their mother. It's kind of like a bird orphanage," old George was in the mood to talk.

Fortunately for Harry, he wanted to stay awake so he could fight the medicine which clouded his mind at the moment. "What are you in here for?" Harry asked politely.

"Heh, indigestion. I've found a taste for those metal things on top of roofs."

"Aerials? Television aerials?"

"I guess that's what they call it. I just love bending the poles this way and that."

"I don't think that's very nice," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Oh, but it's so relaxing. Every bird needs a hobby, don't they? Do you have a hobby, kid?"

"I like collecting shiny things and decorating my nest with them. And I like hanging from the tallest tree from my beak."

"Ahh, the memories," George nodded slowly. "I used to enjoy hanging. I'm afraid I've gotten too fat and out of shape. I can't support my own weight anymore. They clip your wings here, you know, to keep us from flying away. Really puts the weight on, though. Don't let them do that to you."

"I'll try to remember that," Harry said, as he spotted a couple chest feathers that needed tending.

"Ohhhhh, ughhhhh," another bird groaned as he was brought in by the Raven Master.

George leaned over and whispered, "That's Grog. Looks like he's been to the pub again."

Harry giggled, "That's a terrible hangover he's got."

"Right, I don't envy him right now."

Tubbs turned and saw the newest raven chatting with George. "Oi, what ya doing out of your cage, mate?"

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked George.

"Nah, you're a good kid. I like you," was George's gruff reply. "First chance we can get away, I'll show you my aerial collection." Harry chuckled to himself at the thought.

Tubbs scooped Harry into his arms and petted him gently. "Looks like you're feeling better, eh? How 'bout I introduce you around? You've met George, and this is Grog." Tubbs took Harry up into the tower to meet the other ravens, but Harry had to stay in the infirmary until he could fly.

----- ooOoo -----

_To be continued…_

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading. I know this chapter was short, but—

As if I weren't busy enough with my mom's problems, I'm going back to college and my first class starts tonight. So the next chapter will be the reunion and I'm trying to find a way to end it there. I continue to write when inspiration hits me, but I'm not posting my new stories yet until I finish my other story. Thanks for the reviews: Silverthreads, Qem, excessivelyperky, Ezmerelda, Sweet-single, reseh, E.A.V., Princess Arica, and Thee-Unknown-Factor.


	17. Chapter 17

**The Raven II**

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Chapter 17** (uploaded 9/6/05)

Except for Raven George, Harry found the Royal Ravens too posh and rather stuffy. It turned out Grog was only just a visitor now, having been replaced back in 1981 after a six month absence. Once in a while, the lush allowed himself to get caught so that he could sleep off the effects of his latest drinking binge. Harry thought Raven George was named perfectly, because he reminded Harry of George Weasley. He was easy going, friendly, and always looking for the next mischief opportunity.

The caretakers were nice, especially to Harry. Once they found out Harry was already hand tamed, they'd allow him to ride on their shoulders as they went about their daily business. They always talked to the birds while they went about their duties. If they finished early, they'd even read to the group. Every bird's favorite was a poem by Edgar Allen Poe. George even managed to mimic the Raven Master's voice, "Nevermore."

One day, Harry was awaken out of a nap by George, who was trying to work the lock on his cage. "Alright kid, that's enough sleep for you. It's been a week, you need to work out the stiffness in your wings."

"That's what the Raven Master said," Harry replied. "He was going to let me fly later today."

"Well, I'm taking you out now, kiddo," gruffed the old bird. "I can't fly too well because my wings are clipped, but I still manage short distances. So you'll be able to keep up, no worries. Ever seen London?"

"I've only seen a bit of London. I'm from Surrey, you see."

"Well, today's perfect traveling weather for us. There's a chilly Nordic breeze today, so nobody will be riding the top level of the red double-decker buses. We'll catch a ride and hit all the sites today."

Harry hopped to his feet and started headbutting the door to help George. "Brilliant, let's go!" Harry tumbled out of the cage when he tried another headbutt, but George was already holding open the wire cage door. George snorted, "Alright there, Harry?"

He only got up laughing, "I know another George who would have done that to me, too."

"Hang on, I've got this stuffed raven I'll put in your cage. The Raven Master will think you're still asleep."

"Where'd you get that ugly thing?" Harry laughed at the limp raven doll and gave it peck.

"Sometimes we get in a nest of hatchlings who have recently lost or been abandoned by their mother. One of the humans will stick his hand into the doll and feed the little babies. Then they leave the doll in the nest so that they think they still have a Mum." George lowered his voice and looked around, "When old Grog gets really drunk, he tries to make it with the doll."

"Ewww!" Harry shook his feathers out in disgust.

"He's even named her Stella!"

To George's amusement, Harry ran around in circles, "Eww, eww ewww, eeewww! I did not need to know that. The other night he kept yelling out for Stella."

"Now you know he's not just a movie buff."

As he worked to calm himself, Harry came to a realization. "Hey George, how are we getting out? All the windows are closed and the doors are locked."

"Follow me, kiddo. We go through the vent. There's a spot where I've opened it up for my getaways. I haven't bent an aerial in almost a week now."

Their talons clicked on the surface as they walked through the dusty metal vent. It wasn't as hot as Harry expected despite the fact that the heater was on. He soon found out why. George had opened up a gaping hole in the vent that lead right out to the roof and cold wind was blowing in while heat went rushing out. Along the way, Harry had overheard a bit of conversation in the office:

"Hey Tubbs, can't we do anything about the heat in here? It's freezing! I've already got the heater turned up as far as it will go."

"Already have. The heating guy is coming out tomorrow to have a look."

"Yeh might call pest control to come out today then. I hear something crawling up in there again."

"Alright, alright, Jones. Give me the request and I'll sign it. Go ahead and ring up the maintenance department."

Harry had a great day out with George. They hopped a bus and George treated Harry to chips with vinegar for lunch. The sneaky old bird nicked it off a lunch table in the financial district when a poor, distracted office worker ran after his newspaper that got caught in the wind. By the end of the day, Harry was tired and hungry. He'd done the whole London city tour in one day. "I think my favorite was the parade at Buckingham Palace," Harry croaked to George as they sat together on top of somebody's Ford Escort. George was determined to bend the wire antenna into some kind of bird shape.

"Mine was chasing the cute little pigeons at Trafalgar Square," cawed George.

"You should stick to ravens," teased Harry, "I think they were afraid you were going to eat them."

"I had a mate once." George stopped chewing on the aerial to look into the sky. "She was a looker in her youth, I tell you. Faithful to the very end. Of course it didn't hurt that I had one of the best jobs a raven could have in England. I took up this hobby a couple years ago after she died. Heartbreak, I think. The humans kept taking her eggs away. Our eggs."

"I'm sorry."

"Meh. Life goes on, kid. I've lost enough friends and coworkers to know that you have to go on with your life to keep their memory alive."

"I figured that out this summer after I lost my godfather," Harry said solemnly.

"Enough of this. Now there's another beautiful tribute to my dear departed life mate, eh? To my dear Lenore, nevermore, nevermore."

"Wow, her name was Lenore." Harry's jaw dropped. "Like in the poem."

"No. Actually it was Rosie, but I usually get more applause with the Lenore line." George cackled and raised his wings in triumph.

Harry only shook his head and snorted at himself for falling for George's antics again. "I think your sculptures are getting better," he added. George took a bow.

"Oi, here comes another bus, let's get something to eat on the East End. Grog highly recommends the Rose and Punchbowl. I've never been there yet, but he's described it to me so often that I could find it in my sleep."

The ravens arrived in perfect time, just as the cook threw out another bag of rubbish. George tore into it expertly and emerged with a bone from a leg of lamb. "Mmm, Grog was right. I'll have to thank him if I ever see him again," George clicked his beak as he and Harry picked the bone clean.

"What do you mean IF ?" Harry looked at him sideways.

"Well, you see, because of my aerial hobby, last month I was reassigned to a zoo. They'll transfer me as soon as I'm healthy enough to travel."

"I don't get it, you're healthy now. I mean, we spent the whole day together and you've been great."

"Right, but I keep turning up with indigestion, don't I?"

Harry laughed, "Right!"

As they both cackled, they failed to hear someone coming up on them. "Caught ya! Hey, Smitty, I caught one at it again. Oh damn, it's got the tag of the Royal Ravens again. I really wanted to get one of these buggers stuffed at the taxidermy and mount it on the wall."

"George!" Because of his quick reflexes, Harry had managed to fly up in time and narrowly avoided getting caught in the sack with George.

"Don't worry about me, kid. Save yourself. See you back at the Tower."

"But I don't want to go back to the Tower," Harry cawed as he circled above the pub.

"Have a good life, Harry. Visit me in Wales."

Not knowing where else to go, Harry did fly back to the Tower of London. Several times a day, the Raven Master would take one or two of the ravens from the tower and give a little show for the tourists. To Tubb's frustration, Harry would come out and play during the show, pick up a couple of treats, get his picture taken, and the tourists thought he was the new star of the show.

At the end of the second day, Tubbs was ready to order a tranquilizer dart for the little miscreant, but in the middle of the last show, a bright yellow golf ball started flying around the perimeter of the yard. Having forgotten about the bonding band, he suddenly felt Snape's heart leap when Harry came out of hiding. He looked around, but before he spotted Snape in the shadow, he saw his Snidgey! Harry raced after it out of excitement and reflex, catching it in mid roll. He knew he'd been spotted. By everyone, if the applause was any indication. Well he'd had enough of being a bird and was ready to return to Hogwarts, so with his little golden toy held firmly in his beak, he landed on the shoulders of the tall thin man in the black button-up suit.

"Sir, my name is Raven Master Tubbs," the soldier in the fancy red uniform held out his hand.

"Severus Snape," the potion master replied and returned the handshake. "I hope my bird hasn't been too much trouble. I've been looking for him for a couple weeks. It didn't seem like any of his showtime antics were scripted." Harry coo'd happily and shook his toy back and forth.

"Well, we were hoping to accept him into the Tower as a trainee, but he was misguided by a couple of mischievous old ravens who influenced him before I could separate them."

"Yes," Snape sneered, "he is easily led into mischief by his friends, much like his father." Rawk! Harry squawked and ran toward the professor's head to stuff his snidget into the professor's ear. Snape took the golden toy from the raven's beak and snorted, "Is that the best retort you have, brat?" He opened his cloak and threw the toy into a pocket. "Go get it."

"Thanks. Bye," Harry croaked at the Raven Master before crawling down the cloak and climbing into the pocket.

"Master Tubbs," Snape rebuttoned his cloak with Harry safely tucked away, "what do I owe you for his care. I am grateful."

"No charge, sir. I am glad to see he was missed and is with someone who loves him. He looks genuinely happy to see you."

"I think he was happier to see his beloved little toy," Snape said in a quiet monotone. "Good day, sir."

Snape entered Hogwarts castle through the front doors. Just as he entered the Great Hall and turned toward the dungeon staircase, Headmaster Dumbledore said from behind, "Where have you been, Severus? You've almost missed supper."

Snape gritted his teeth and turned so that his robes flared behind him. "I had personal business in London."

"I thought as much," Dumbledore said pleasantly and looked at the potions professor over the top of his half-moon glasses. "Why don't you grab something to eat and let me take Harry to my office. You can bring up the antidote after pudding."

"How did you know?" Snape glared at the Headmaster.

Harry wiggled his way out of the pocket he was comfortably nested in, still holding the toy snidget in his beak. He hopped over to Dumbledore's shoulder and rode up to the Headmaster's office. When they entered, Hedwig was sitting on Professor Dumbledore's desk atop a pile of Muggle newspapers and pictures. "Harry! I told you, I'd get you home when you were ready."

Harry dropped his toy and flew into her outstretched wings. Dumbledore sat down at his desk, "Well, Harry, you've had quite a time, haven't you? Hedwig has apparently been nicking pictures of you that tourists have taken in front of monuments and tourist attractions. Why, you were even in the paper as the next Royal Raven."

"Severus, quit sulking outside the door and come in already." Snape swooped into the room with his robes swooshing behind him. The surly man already had his face fixed in an unreadable mask. "You're quite sure the danger has passed?"

"Yes, Headmaster. The Dark Lord is content at the moment to have his pet snake healthy once again. He does not blame me for my temporary absence, as it was proven that I was in the house the whole time and unable to respond to his summons. Although Mr. Potter is now out of danger, for the moment, you are not."

Dumbledore held up his hand to signal that Snape was approaching an area he did not want overheard by Harry. "Hedwig, thank you. Why don't you return to the owlry. Harry will catch up with you later." He scratched Hedwig behind her ears and smiled as she left. Professor Dumbledore then pulled out a leather pouch and pulled out a set of student robes and Harry's wand. Setting both on the comfy chair, he place Harry under the robes with only his head sticking out. Snape then administered the transformation antidote.

----- ooOoo -----

Harry woke up in the Hospital ward with Ron, Hermione, and Madam Pomfrey looking on. "Hey," he said sleepily and groped for his glasses. Hermione handed it to him.

"Hey, youreslf," Hermione replied. "You've missed a lot of school work. Where have you been?" Ron rolled his eyes and offered a half-empty box of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

Pomfrey put a tray of sandwiches, chips, and pumpkin juice in front of Harry. "Finish that and you may be on your way." She left the Gryffindors chatting among themselves. Harry told them everything he could remember from the Death Eater hide out and the Tower of London. He really enjoyed recounting his adventures with George and Grog.

"So what about Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"He's being trained to be a Death Eater," Harry answered. "He can't get out of it, but his heart's not in it. Voldemort is still after me, but Professor Snape says the danger has passed. I guess he's not actively trying to kill me right now."

"What? You're not going to get Malfoy back for turning you into a bird?" Ron spat.

"No," Harry felt sorry for Draco, "I think he's got bigger problems than our little rivalry."

"How are things between you and Professor Snape?" Hermione asked.

Dangling his bare feet over the edge of the bed, he found the bonding band was no longer on his toe. Harry looked over at the night stand next to his bed. Brushing aside numerous cards and gifts, he picked out the slightly chewed imitation of a little golden Snidget bird and squeezed it in his palm. "I think we have an understanding."

----- ooOoo -----

**The End.** Thanks for flying with Dizzy. Sometimes I get lost along the way, but I eventually land …somewhere. Please take care when removing items from the overhead compartments, as items might have shifted in flight.

A/N: Once again, thank you for your reviews. I don't think I can say that enough. Hopefully I've brightened your day as much as you have brightened mine: Qem, excessivelyperky, Sweet-single, duj, Ezmerelda, Rehnnan (x2), Prongs J. Potter, Arica, APS, Silat'r, shadowphantomness, E.A.V. Check this chapter later if you left a question in your review, but I won't respond after about 9/15/05.

Royal raven reference: From www(dot)historic-uk(dot)com/DestinationsUK/TowerRavens(dot)htm

"However despite the wing clipping, there have been occasional escapes. Grog was last seen outside an East End pub called the 'Rose and Punchbowl' in 1981. Like Hardey he had been at the Tower for 21 years but unlike Hardey, Grog obviously felt he needed a change of scene!" I took it a bit further and made Grog a party animal.

"On Saturday 13th September 1986, Raven George, enlisted 1975, was posted to the Welsh Mountain Zoo. Conduct unsatisfactory, service therefore no longer required." Not exactly matching the story's timeline, but close enough. George was dismissed from The Tower for chewing on antennae.

Edits:

_Princess Arica_: "THE END" means no more updates.

_Ezmerelda_: I knew about the Tower Ravens but I had to research the specifics. Tubbs is a real guy, too. He was Raven Master in the 1980's, if my research was correct.

_excessivelyperky_: Snidget pie? Bite sized pie, maybe, if you can find one. They're endangered or extinct, supposedly.

_hotcocoalatte_:I amworking on a post-HBP story, but I'mdetermined not to post it untilafter I finish 'Another Chance,' a story I haven't updated in over a year. That's my word and I'm sticking to it...unless my resolve breaks down and I get overpowered by a wild herd of plotbunnies.


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